TEACHER'SSTRIKE

levels of 'job action.'

During Phase One job uction. BCTF members cannot:

- participate in meetings or interviews with parents or staff outside or instructional time prepare or distribute report cards (with the exception of grade 12 marks)

• prepare or distribute student data

• attend stuff meetings

• purt1c1pate in any uccreditat ion activity

- participalc in any district of ministry in-service

• participate in any photo organii'lltion

- provide coverage for a tcaeher who is absent

- collect money from tudents (e.g. Funtfrnising)

- ndminister district or ministry tests

- do inventory

- organize textbooks

- answer school office phones

- assist in administrative tasks

• supervise detention outside or school hours

• prepare overviews or previews for ndininistration purposes

- pack up cla!!srooms 10 facilitate construction or painting

• perform department head responsibilities gaining may cost stuclents vital attention that they WoLilcl have otherwise had, even under the former contract which expired in June 2001. in programs sm;h as art, musi<.:,and clrama.

The success and speed of negations under the present phase will determine whether PhaseTwo or job action is implemented.

PhoseTwo would involve farther restriction of teachers' nc!tvlltes to prohibit sporting/coaching. a!lend,1nce. ltlld departmental meetings.

Recognizing this. the BCPSEA und BCTF have just completed 45 bargaining sessions between March 2, 200 I and October 17, 2001, and continue to strive towards negotiating a collective agreement, however, since designated se!>.,....,.-i~•?>. sion ended in Octobers, the wi 11ingness uf either !..., pnrty to compro~l mise has neurly A 1:: reached a stmicJsti I I. As far a wages are concerned, the offer currently on the table is $300 million over 3 years whcrc~s the BCTF ore requesting 2.1 billion. Regan.ling class size, teachers want lower maximums and the BCPSEA is offering 10 maintain current stanclards. BCTF is requesting a prep-time increase from 90 minutes to 225 minutes per week for elementary school teachers uncl 386 minutes from I 93 minutes per week for secondary school teachers. Teachers also want all unused sick-time in previous clistriels to be transferable, should a teacher change school and 45 instead of 30 minutes per week to spend together as a staff, not on-duty.

Teacher's are nlso asking for increased sick leave, district trnnsli;rring rights and privileges as well as incrc.1scd preparatory time.

They are also demanding u 34% wage in<.:rcasenncl a<.:celcrnlcclautomatic experience rnises in order lo oil-set the necclboth finnncinlly and e<lucntionally - to support growing needs in the educotionol system.

The B.C. Public School Empl,yers' Associa1ion was founclcd in 1993 and the province had ils first collective bargaining negotiations in 1994. and the lirsl agreement was reached in 1995. Since then, all majm lubor bargaining and contract m:goti.11ionsbetween the 13CTF nnd

B PSEA has been the resu It of' these prnvincial wllcctive ugrccrrn:nts. Also. thc previous government legislmed Ieacher~ to be an essemiul service as n result of the lust teacher's srrike in the lute i 980's.

C11n:-el1ucntly,tcnchers are not allowed to w;tlk off the job, bUI can exert pressure on e111plllycn, by per• l"orming ut various-·

Although students stand to directly benefit should BCTF negotiations prove successful. they also have the mo L to lose in the short term barg;.iining process.

"I am in favor of the ideas behind the strike, however as a student, it's more of an inconvenience than anything for me."

Snrnller classes ancl augmented funcling would booster the lluulity of tcaching time available 10 swdents. However the learning npportunilies lost in the 10 - 45 days expected lo be lust in PhaseOnc or the bar-

According to teachers and studcnts alike, we should be proud of their aeuclcmic identity. When uskcd LOcomment on the present situation, BCPSEA was unavailable for commcnt, except to remind that Canadian students rank fifth in the world on nn international test of reading prose, over the US. New Zealand. Australia. the United Kingdom, Denmark und Swit1,erland. regardless of present contract discrepanies. Accorcling lo Patrici.1 Frers. an Abbotsford teacher "The present non-strike situation is a difticult position for both teachers and their employers. I'm hoping that our contract can be resolved quickly <111clwe will be uble to muintain the high standard of education that we have been providing our SIU· dems."