8/2/2019 BCTF: Call for Fair Settlement (Feb. 23, 2012)

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A Union of Professionals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 23, 2012

Teachers call for a fair alternative to an imposed contract

In the wake of a labour ministry report today finding that a negotiated settlement is very unlikely,BC teachers are calling upon the government not to impose a contract through legislation but rather

to enable other labour relations mechanisms to achieve a fair agreement.

Teachers are looking for fair alternatives, such as mediation or even arbitration, to help the parties

find a resolution to this dispute, said BCTF PresidentSusan Lambert. This government has achoice. It can help find the compromises necessary to reach a settlement, or it can use bullying

legislation that will only make matters worse.

Lambert pointed out that calling for mediation is an exceptional and unusual step for any union.

But its one we are prepared to take in the hope of achieving a settlement and avoiding the

damaging repercussions of an imposed contract, she said.

The BCTF is urging BCPSEA to accept the offer to mediate the dispute. If theyarent able to doso, we would request the Labour Relations Board to appoint a mediator or, failing that, an

independent arbitrator. We want to exhaust all the options available to us, even to calling for an

independent arbitrator if necessary, Lambert said.

Teachers are disappointed, but not surprised, at todays report. It appeared from the outset that the

government was using this process as a precursor to legislation, Lambert said. Now, we are

urging the government not to repeat a pattern that has left a legacy of damaged relationships anddeteriorating learning conditions in BC schools.

She emphasized that teachers are determined not to accept additional stripping of hard-won

collective agreement rights. The employer has tabled a long list of concession demands including:

virtual elimination of seniority; no more fair process in hiring; forced transfers at the initiative of

the employer; dismissal after one unsatisfactory evaluation; management control over teachersprofessional development; and more.

A legislated deal has been a worry for teachers since March 2011, when Education Minister George

Abbott attended the BCTF annual general meeting and speculated that this round of bargaining

could conclude in imposed legislation. Since job action began in September, the minister hasrepeatedly suggested that collective bargaining would not be successful and the Legislature wouldhave to act. Even throughout the process of the fact-finders inquiry, he continued to predict theforegone conclusion of a legislated contract.

We can only conclude that from day one this government had no intention whatsoever of

bargaining a collective agreement with teachers, Lambert said.

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The only legislation BC teachers actually want to see would redress the unconstitutional Bills 27

and 28, which have had such a devastating impact on learning conditions in schools province-

wide, Lambert added. We believe this government must genuinely recognize that it violated the

Charter rightsof 41,000 teachers and that breach needs to be rectified in a meaningful way. The

BC Supreme Court set a deadline of April 13, 2012 for government action.

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For more information, contact Nancy Knickerbocker, BCTF media relations officer, at 604-871-1881 (office) or 604-340-1959 (cell).

News Release February 23, 2012

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