Teachers to vote mid-April whether to walkout illegally

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The BC teachers’ union is asking its members if they want to break the law by mounting a strike to protest legislation that bans them from such job action.

Teachers will also be asked during a vote on April 17th and 18th if they want to withdraw all voluntary extra-curricular activities.

The BCTF plans to launch a legal challenge against Bill 22, which was passed last week to end limited job action that started last fall on the first day of school.

Union president Susan Lambert calls the government’s legislation draconian and says the mediation process is a sham. But teachers say they’ll continue to teach and prepare year-end report cards after none have been issued since September.

Bill 22 ends teachers’ job action, brings in a mediator and imposes huge fines, both for teachers and the union, if they take strike action.

“We understand that. We understand the gravity of the situation. We understand the fines are unprecedented. They are punitive,” explains Lambert. “There’s obviously an intent to stifle this union, to stifle the voice for kids and the system.”

If a walkout happens, it would occur in phase 2. Lambert won’t say how soon teachers could walk-off the job or how long they could be out of classrooms. “That will depend on government. Government has the choice. Government can rethink this legislation. Government can rethink its policies.”

It will take a vote of 50 per cent, plus one for the teachers’ plan to pass.

BC’s Education Minister George Abbott says there’s no chance the part of the bill that makes it illegal for teachers to walk off the job will be amended.

“We certainly don’t have any plans to change Bill 22. The act sets out a very constructive path for parties to resolve differences,” explains Abbott. “I hope that parents and students appreciate that we’ve also put in penalty provisions to respect the fact that when illegal job action occurs, that it has a dramatic financial impact.”

Abbott is in China where he’s discussing international education and student recruitment.

News1130 spoke with a student teacher and asked what he thought teachers should do. He responded with mixed feelings. “It’s definitely a hard balance to figure out what’s the right decision because in one way, you’re wanting to better their education but in some ways the strike is affecting their education.”

An adult education student taking courses to upgrade for a better job doesn’t want another strike. “If they go on strike then I won’t be able to go to school and then I’ll have to extend [the course] again so it does affect me too, as a student.”

Parents tend to agree with her, noting how difficult another strike would be on families.

One man argues parents will have “to look for baby sitters and some place to put the kids if they go on strike. It’s a headache for the parents too because they have to go to work.”

Some parents worry about the damage further withdrawal of services will have on your kids’ education.

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