VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – BC Education Minister George Abbott says the government plans to draw up legislation in the coming days to end the labour dispute between teachers and their employer and send teachers fully back to work.

This after a senior bureaucrat found it very unlikely the two sides would find a voluntary deal.

“I have asked my staff to look at the preparation of a bill or bills which would give effect to a resolution of this dispute,” explains Abbott.

“The parties have been at the table now one year.  There have been 78 face-to-face bargaining sessions and the parties remain as far apart today, or very close to as far apart today, as they were one year ago,” he adds.

“I am not prepared to see this go on very much longer,” says Abbott.

Teachers have been on limited job action since September, refusing to do some paperwork and other tasks.

Trevor Hughes was asked two weeks ago to check in with the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Public School Employers’ Association.

“It is my assessment that unfortunately it is very unlikely that BCPSEA and BCTF will be able to reach a voluntary settlement,” he wrote in his 19-page report released Thursday.

“My assessment is based on my findings that the parties are not narrowing the issues in dispute despite over 75 bargaining sessions and an almost six-month long limited strike. In addition, I also find that the ‘net zero’ mandate and the outstanding ‘split of issues’ between provincial and local bargaining are fundamental obstacles to the parties being able to reach a voluntary settlement,” wrote Hughes.

Abbott says any imposed settlement will include a net zero wage mandate.

“If BCPSEA refuses to enter into mediation, we’re going to ask the LRB (Labour Relations Board) to appoint a mediator,” says BCTF President Susan Lambert.  “And we’re even contemplating asking for arbitration, should that be necessary.  We want to exhaust every avenue.”

“So they have alternatives.  That’s up to them.  I’m calling on them to use the alternatives.  Let’s exhaust every avenue that we can to find a respectful end to this dispute.  Let’s not use bullying legislation.  That would just make matters worse,” Lambert adds.

She says every one of the teachers’ objectives was negotiable but now is the time for outside help, and despite concerns from Abbott about a lack of report cards and “collaborative meetings,” she insists students and parents are still being served well.

“Teachers are teaching.  They’re creating challenging opportunities for students.  They’re designing individual education programs to meet individual student needs.  They’re assessing and reporting progress to parents.  So why the haste?” Lambert says.

As for a teacher walkout or wildcat strikes, Lambert says union leadership will ask teachers for direction and they are planning a “day of action” on Monday at lunchtime to update teachers on the dispute.

Abbott says a mediator would not be able to deal with issues like wages and other money matters.  He claims teachers are asking for a 15% wage increase while all other public sector workers have agreed to a zero wage mandate.

Meanwhile, Melanie Joy with the BC Public School Employers’ Association says they have their doubts about mediation.

“We have always taken the stance the agreement needs to be negotiated collectively between the two parties at the table,” she says.  “It does make it difficult, I think any agreement that is legislated makes it difficult, because you don’t have the buy-in from the both parties.”

Joy says their board will discuss mediation on Friday and then speak to the Labour Relations Board.