B.C. teachers continue strike advocating for size & composition over their classes but some say it's a government decision
Some kids look forward to Labour Day and the start of the school year, some kids dread it. But it doesn't matter what kids in British Columbia think, because they're not going back tomorrow.
The B.C. Teachers remain locked in a labour dispute with the province. On Saturday, veteran mediator Vince Ready walked away from talks, saying the two sides were still too far apart for a resolution. The provincial government says it won't legislate the teachers back to work, leaving parents to wonder how long this impasse will last ... and scrambling to make alternate arrangements.
Teachers have been on strike since mid-June and negotiations stalled over the summer.
I didn't get into teaching for the wages. I got into teaching for the rewarding experiences as funny as that sounds. So right now, we're really fighting for the class size and composition. I had one class this year with 30 students. I had 14 students with designations in the class room. And it was so many that they couldn't put enough CEAs in the room to help me with all the students with disabilities ... It's very difficult. I was very drained emotionally and frustrated I couldn't get to everyone in the room.Gillian Kirk, high-school English teacher in Kelowna
The issue of class size and composition has long been contentious between the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Government:
B.C. Teachers Timeline
In 1998, the B.C. Teachers' union bypassed the provincial school boards and negotiated a deal with the provincial NDP government. Among other things, it gave the union the power to bargain on class sizes, class composition and support for special needs students.
In 2002, the new Liberal government ripped up that contract and passed a law stripping the union's ability to bargain on any of those things. The union fought back, taking the government to court.
The B.C. Supreme Court struck down versions of that law twice, once in 2011 and again in 2014.
The B.C. Government has appealed the latest ruling. The appeal is expected to be heard next month.
More than a decade into the fight, it's a bitter one. Given the ongoing court battle ... the province suggested last week that the issue of class size and composition should be set aside for now, so the teachers can return. The teachers union disagreed. But there are teachers who want the issue taken off the table for good.
I think that class size and composition is very important for teachers. But it's not just a teacher issue. It's an issue for parents and I think it's an issue for all British Columbians. At this particular point with teaches losing so much pay for fighting this issue, I think it's time to reconsider whether the teachers themselves should be bearing this burden.Jacqueline Sheppet, Secondary school teacher in Vancouver.
So, is the negotiating table the right place to decide how classes are going to be made up? Or should that be a policy issue left to School Boards and the Government? It works differently in districts across the country, but as British Columbia schools remain closed over this issue,
- Irene Lanzinger is the Secretary Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour. She was the President of the B.C. Teachers' Federation from 2007 to 2010 and started teaching in 1978.
- Michael Zwaagstrais a Research fellow with the Frontier Centre for public policy and a high school teacher in rural Manitoba.
Should the make up of classes be part of teachers' contract talks?
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This segment was produced by The Current's Liz Hoath.