Talks aimed at ending the teacher’s strike continue into the morning
Posted September 15, 2014 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
RICHMOND (NEWS1130) – They are talking, but perhaps not face-to-face.
BC Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker, government’s chief negotiator Peter Cameron, and mediator Vince Ready are at the Delta Hotel in Richmond again after marathon talks over the weekend failed to produce a solution to end the strike in our schools.
The two sides are in separate rooms for the discussions, with Ready moving between them.
But what exactly is being said behind those closed doors? Weekend talks only finished up in the wee hours of this morning, with Ready calling an end after 2 a.m.
It’s hoped there will soon be a new ending to a story that so far has ended the same way: without a deal.
Both sides — and Ready — have been staying quiet about what is being said, following an agreement to a media blackout. OMNI TV political analyst Kim Emerson says no news is really good news “because Vince Ready wasn’t going to waste his time if they stayed so far apart.”
“That means that somebody has moved. Somebody has made a gesture that has helped to get this going, and got the talks back on track.”
He speculates that the government likely moved on its E-80 clause on class size and composition.
“That would have been enough to get the teachers to move on some other points as well. Perhaps move a little bit more on the wage situation. So, that would be the big one to get things going, that would’ve been enough to get the talks back on track.”
Although though discussions have broken down before Emerson says there is reason to be hopeful.
“Vince Ready didn’t hang around very long the last time. He’s not a man to waste his time. He understands if he has a role to play…. He believes he can be helpful and if he doesn’t — as we saw the last time — he said ‘No, you guys are too far apart.'”
Ready became directly involved again late last week, after walking out of talks in August, saying the sides were too far apart for him to work with them.
Once a deal is reached, students may not necessarily be back in their classrooms the following day. Teachers may need to vote to put an end to their strike.
We’re now into the third week of what was supposed to be the new school year. Wages and class size and composition have been the major issues preventing a new agreement from being reached.
