BCTF says picket lines will stay up as long as it takes to get negotiations going

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The first day of the school year features protests and picket lines, but no classes for public school students.

It seems teachers and the government are no closer to reaching a deal today than they were before the summer break.

Jim Iker, president of the BC Teachers’ Federation, says the picket lines will stay up for as long as it takes to get real negotiations started, after exploratory talks broke down again over the weekend.

He says the BCTF is ready to negotiate, but the government isn’t giving an inch on the issues of class size and composition. “We were ready all summer and government only agreed to one day at the table on the 8th of August. That was after 14 days of discussions.”

Iker says binding arbitration is an option they’d look at.

As for backing off on job action to get students back to class, he says, “For us to relieve all pressure on government, that’s not going to get us a deal.”

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