Strike
Friday, June 13, could be the last day of school for Vancouver students.
B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker outlined escalating job action Thursday morning.
The BCTF’s rotating strike of the last three weeks will be extended to include “study sessions” Monday. Teachers won’t picket but Vancouver School Board chairperson Patti Bacchus expects that unless a settlement is reached over the weekend, students shouldn’t attend school Monday. Parents can find updates at vsb.bc.ca.
A full-scale strike is to start Tuesday.
Iker told reporters Thursday morning that the BCTF has revised all of its contract proposals including wages. He hoped bargaining will proceed over the weekend, but times hadn’t been set when he gave a press conference early Thursday morning.
“This can be averted by Monday, or by Tuesday at the latest,” Iker said.
Teachers have worked under a partial lockout since they started rotating strikes May 26. They’re not to be at work 45 minutes before or after school or work during lunch or recess. Teachers are being docked 10 per cent of their pay and won’t receive strike pay.
The Labour Relations Board ruled Thursday that teachers must supervise Grades 10 and 12 provincial exams, submit final marks for Grade 12 students by June 20 and that the union must make sure students won’t have to cross picket lines to write exams.
Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association president Debbie Pawluk told the Courier Wednesday she might be buying grocery vouchers for teachers who face financial hardship during a full strike.
When teachers were on strike for 10 days in 2005, VSTA gave out $18,000 in cash and grocery vouchers.
Teachers and parents don’t want to head into the summer break with uncertainty.
“Let’s not forget that a lot of our teachers are parents, so not only does it affect their professional wellbeing, but also their personal lives,” Pawluk said.
Summer school
Bacchus is concerned about summer school.
“We have many students who are relying on summer school to complete graduation requirements and, additionally, we have several students who are coming from other countries who have booked home stays, have tickets booked… and are expecting to start summer programs in the first week of July,” she said.
The Ministry of Education says it would lift the lockout so summer school could proceed but the VSB hasn’t heard the BCTF’s plans.
Bacchus says Premier Christy Clark must take action.
“We know it happened with the port dispute and the truckers, the Premier stepped in,” she said. “It’s time.”
Gender Policy
The proposed revised sexual orientation and gender identity policy will be considered for adoption at a Vancouver School Board meeting June 16.
