A West Side parent group says families are caught in the middle of the labour dispute between the provincial government and teachers thanks to a negotiating process that was designed to fail.
Members of Kitsilano secondary schools parent advisory council are so fed up with the ongoing strife, they penned a letter to Premier Christy Clark, education minister George Abbott and B.C. Teachers Federation president Susan Lambert to demand a resolution.
The [Kits PAC] would like to remind all parties in the ongoing educational dispute of their obligation to provide an environment for our children to receive the education to which they have a right. This involves government providing adequate financial resources and the budget for education, and teachers fulfilling their obligation to teach, the letter states.
Kits PAC further wishes to express that we do not appreciate families being placed in the middle of the ongoing labour battle. Kits PAC wants families to come first.
The letter came out of an extraordinary general meeting held by the PAC at the high school March 5 to discuss the labour dispute and a possible response from the PAC.
Kitsilano PAC chair Lisa Herrera didnt chair or vote at the meeting due to a conflicther husband is a teacherbut she spoke to the Courier Thursday morning about parents concerns.
She said PAC members support teachers, but feel the two negotiating sides are not negotiating in good faith and the letter is meant to convey the extreme frustration of parents.
They are not coming to the table trying to settle things. And there was a very strong sentiment that the government had set it up so that its not possible to negotiate things, and that teachers, by going to a strike, were allowing the families to be put in between, she said. But [there was] a strong sentiment that the government has set it up so that the government is also putting families in between.
The PAC urges a review of the bargaining system so both sides can genuinely negotiate in good faith as parents are not only concerned with the current contract dispute, but future talks as well.
There was a feeling of weariness in the roomyou know, theyll be legislated back, she said. We know thats what always happens. And how long will the contract be and when will the next round of it be? There was a weariness for that and that was the reason to say that there needs to be a change in the system so that this can stop happening.
The BCTF executive meets Monday and will discuss the job action and the upcoming annual general meeting scheduled for March 17 to 20. During the AGM, executive officers will be electedpresident Susan Lambert is being challenged by Rick Guenther for the top joband delegates will bring forward an action plan to determine how the BCTF will craft its next steps.
Education minister George Abbott told reporters Thursday he hoped legislation could be passed by the end of next week. That would mean legal strike action by teachers wouldnt be possible for Vancouver teachers after district closure days and spring break, which is March 12 until March 23.
Twitter: @Naoibh
