Seventy-five per cent of teachers who cast ballots on a contract ratification question last week voted yes, according to the B.C. Teachers' Federation.
The BCTF and B.C. Public School Employers' Association reached a tentative agreement through mediation last Tuesday, which required endorsement from teachers.
A total of 21,044 voted over three days, which translates to a 52 per cent turnout. In a Friday press release, the teachers' federation acknowledged many members likely aren't happy with the agreement. President Susan Lambert noted it hasn't solved class size or composition issues and it doesn't increase salaries, which she said are below teacher salaries elsewhere in Canada.
But Lambert added that the union did get modest improvements in most teacher benefits and some leave provisions. "However, the most significant achievement is that we succeed in getting government [to] take its concession demands off the table," she said in Friday's release. "Throughout 80 bargaining sessions, government refused to budge from net zero and persisted in demanding the elimination of hard-won labour rights and fair process provisions around post and fill and transfer and recall. With this settlement we have forced government off its punitive agenda."
The deal isn't sealed yet. Representatives from the B.C. Public School Employers Association must also ratify the agreement. That vote takes place Wednesday, July 4 at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Richmond. Ballots will be cast as part of BCPSEA's representative council meeting that runs from 9: 30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. Results are expected to be announced during the meeting.
There's one representative from each district- board chair Patti Bacchus represents Vancouver. It's a weighted voted, Bacchus told the Courier, so Vancouver gets 14 votes and smaller districts get fewer.
Boards held their own binding votes prior to the BCPSEA's meeting.
The VSB held its vote Tuesday, after the Courier's print press deadline, during a private session.
TRADING SEASON
The Vancouver School Board has hired a new associate superintendent-Scott Robinson, who's an assistant superintendent for the Richmond school district.
A position on the district's senior management team opened up when deputy superintendent Jordan Tinney announced he'd accepted a job in Surrey. Tinney starts in his new position in August.
Also moving to the Surrey school district is the VSB's director of instruction Catherine Remedios.
"There are a whole bunch of moves in the metro area right now at different levels," board chair Patti Bacchus said. "It's like trading season on sports teams. It's crazy-people are shifting from district to district and we're all looking over our shoulders, but yet we're all eyeing other people's staff."
Bacchus added that many senior staff in the VSB are in their mid to late 50s and preparing to retire-a point mentioned often in recent years.
"[There are] some really good people coming up along but need that experience. We have a lot of good talent internally that we need to be supporting and developing," she said.
noconnor@vancourier.com
