Today Premier Christy Clark announced a review of the teacher bargaining process that will see government engage with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and other education stakeholders on how best to make systemic improvements prior to the next round of bargaining.

“As we settle into a new school year, a key goal for government is to create a more stable learning environment for B.C.’s students and their families” said Premier Clark. “Imagine being able to negotiate a ten-year deal. Imagine a child starting Grade 2 this year moving through to graduation without ever having to experience labour unrest again. Can it be done? I don’t know. Is it worth trying? Absolutely. We need to put our preconceptions aside, we need to put the past behind us, and we need to be flexible and work with teachers to achieve long-term labour peace.”

Clark added that in no other sector does bargaining so consistently generate stress, strikes and disruption. “For the sake of teachers, students, parents, administrators, school staff and school trustees, we must come together in a collaborative process to bring about labour stability. That will require compromise on all sides.”

Education Minister Don McRae and ministry staff will consult with key education stakeholder organizations on how the model for teachers’ collective bargaining can be improved. Consultations will occur through October and early November and are expected to include school trustees, school administrators and parent groups.

Feedback from these consultations will inform policy or legislative changes to be implemented before bargaining starts next spring.

“We will be canvassing all the issues in the teacher bargaining system with the goal of bringing about long-term labour stability,” said McRae. “We need to move quickly to ensure that when negotiations resume early next year, they start on the best possible footing.”

Consultations will cover everything related to the teachers’ collective bargaining structure and process. The Ministry of Education will work in conjunction with the Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC) secretariat and will consider those recommendations identified in previous third-party reports to government.

Over the last few weeks, our government has reached tentative agreements across the public sector without any major disruptions in services to British Columbians.

A backgrounder follows.

Contacts:

Mike Morton
Office of the Premier
250 588-8380

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963

BACKGROUNDER

Recent History of Labour Relations in B.C. Public Education

After almost a full school year of workplace strike action, 75 bargaining sessions and 16 sessions with mediator Dr. Charles Jago, the BC Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) reached a tentative collective agreement with the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) on June 26, 2012. The agreement was subsequently ratified by both parties and covers a two-year term effective July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013.

This last round of bargaining was marked by significant labour disruption, including prolonged strike action (withdrawal of non-essential services) and strained labour-management relations in schools, resulting in the introduction on Feb. 28, 2012, of Bill 22 - the Education Improvement Act - which imposed a cooling-off period and suspended BCTF strike action, while calling on the assistance of a mediator.

Labour disputes and legislative intervention have characterized teacher bargaining in B.C. for the past 25 years.

Previous reports on this subject include Don Wright’s December 2004 ‘Voice, Accountability and Dialogue: Recommendations for an Improved Collective Bargaining System for Teacher Contracts in British Columbia’ and Vince Ready’s February 2007 Industrial Inquiry Commission ‘Final Report for Collective Bargaining Options’ between the BCPSEA and the BCTF.

During the provincial bargaining period (1994-present) there have been three strikes, including the 2011-12 dispute. There have also been four occasions, including the introduction of Bill 22, of legislative intervention in public education labour disputes.

Between 1987 and 1994, agreements were negotiated under what was known as local bargaining - bargaining that occurred between individual boards of education and locally certified teachers’ unions. Between 1988 and 1994, there were 50 strikes by local teachers’ unions, 33 of which were general strikes.

Prior to 1987, teachers did not have the right to bargain collectively pursuant to labour relations legislation.

Contacts:

Mike Morton
Office of the Premier
250 588-8380

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963