Locked out
Teachers’ salaries will be docked 10 per cent if they start rotating strikes Monday.
The B.C. Public School Employer’s Association announced the reduction May 21.
Even if teachers don’t strike in Vancouver and other districts May 26, their salaries are to be docked five per cent beginning Monday as a response to reduced work and what BCPSEA characterizes as the B.C. Teachers’ Federation’s “continued effort to seek increases in total compensation that are far above the pattern of other settlements.”
The BCTF says it seeks an estimated 13.5 per cent increase, which includes cost of living, over four years. The BCTF says the province is offering a 7.5 per cent increase over six years.
BCTF president Jim Iker says compared to teacher salaries across the country, B.C. teachers place in sixth to ninth place.
Iker said the BCTF has already referred the salary reduction to the Labour Relations Board.
Teachers started administrative-based job action April 23. Teachers were not to be at school more than an hour before or after class times, except for arranged voluntary activities. They continued communicating with parents.
BCPSEA is suspending teachers’ duties and hours of work.
BCSPEA directs teachers not to:
• work during recess or lunch hours, except to perform essential services
• be at school 45 minutes before or after classes start, unless there’s an urgent student safety issue or to perform essential services
• evaluate educational programs
• attend department, grade level, staff committee, class and school organization, collaborative and/or professional learning community meetings
• attend professional development activities unless they’re scheduled on non-instructional days.
The BCTF announced rotating strikes May 20 that would see one school closure day per district, May 26 to 29. Vancouver schools would be closed Monday.
Iker said, “[Premier] Christy Clark’s lockout” would mean the cancellation of extracurricular activities.
Secondary school teachers will be locked out June 25 and 26 and all teachers will be locked out June 27 unless a collective agreement is ratified beforehand.
Iker said the lockouts would hurt teachers’ ability to mark exams, prepare report cards, attend graduations and plan for summer school.
A settlement bonus of $1,200 per full-time equivalent teacher would be granted if an agreement is ratified before the end of June.
Iker said teachers want improvements in class size and composition.
The BCPSEA says improvements the BCTF wants could cost $2 billion annually by year four. The BCTF says the province spends $1,000 less per student on education than the Canadian average and has the second lowest per-student funding. Bargaining is scheduled to continue today (May 22) and May 23.
Magee’s 100th, May 24
Magee secondary’s centennial celebration happens this Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. with music, performances, food trucks and historical tours. Alumni, including big band leader Dal Richards, will attend. For more information, see mageecentennial.ca.
Bayview’s 100th, May 28
Bayview elementary is celebrating its centennial May 28. Alumni, neighbours and former staff are invited to tour decade rooms from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and see students’ projects celebrating 100 years of learning at the Kitsilano school. A picnic dinner open to community members runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, email [email protected].
