VICTORIA - Education Minister Peter Fassbender issued the following statement on the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) issuing full-strike notice:

“While this is disappointing news for students and parents, the strike notice was not unexpected.

“That’s why the British Columbia Public School Employers' Association (BCPSEA) applied last week to designate provincial exams and report cards for senior grads as an essential service. We’re pleased to learn that last night the Labour Relations Board agreed that provincial exams are an essential service.

“That means students in Grades 10 to 12 will be able to write their exams as scheduled and Grade 12 students will receive their final marks in a timely manner.

“Our main focus though, is to get to an agreement by June 30, 2014, and put this disruption behind us. The BCTF has said they want to avoid the strike and they are ready to bargain through the weekend. BCPSEA will be there.

“It took support staff unions five days of hard bargaining to get to an agreement. We can achieve the same thing with teachers if the BCTF comes to the table with realistic expectations and a willingness to find solutions.

“Up to now, the BCTF’s total compensation demands have been four times more than other recent settlements. The BCTF has indicated that they will submit a new wage proposals and BCPSEA looks forward to receiving those.

“Teachers deserve a raise but it must be in line with recent agreements covering nearly 150,000 public sector workers - including 34,000 school support workers. BCPSEA has a fair wage offer on the table that includes a $1,200 signing bonus if we get to an agreement by June 30, 2014.

“I know everyone involved wants to head into the summer with the assurance that our education system is on a path to long-term stability and focussed on student outcomes.”

Learn More:

For more information on teacher bargaining, visit: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2014/02/teacher-bargaining-information.html or http://www.bcpsea.bc.ca/

Media Contacts:

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