Christy Clark is urging both sides in the teachers dispute to return to the negotiating table and get students back into classrooms.
Clark says the Teachers’ Federation has refused to suspend their strike while negotiations continue.
“They are still demanding twice as much as other public sector workers have received, about 150,000 workers in the public sector, dedicated men and women who serve British Columbians every day have settled for raises that were fair. Fair to them, fair to taxpayers. It’s just not right, I don’t think, to demand a $5,000 signing bonus that no one else in the public sector has received.”
She also says the BCTF is refusing to provide more affordable demands, similar to other agreements reached by other public sectors.
She says until this happens, the issues of class size and composition can’t be addressed. ”For heaven’s sakes, 150,000 other public sector employees who work just as hard have settled for far less. They didn’t get a $5,000 signing bonus, they didn’t get unlimited massage, they didn’t get an extra day off every year. It needs to be realistic, it needs to be in-line with what we’ve done with other public sector unions.”
The BCTF confirms it has taken its request for unlimited massages off the table.
“So, I want to today strongly urge the union leadership to bargain seriously, to bargain with a hope that we can get to a negotiated solution to this that will be fair to their members, that will be fair to taxpayers, that will be fair to the other 150,000 public sector workers that have already settled for a deal that we can afford.”
Clark doesn’t deny teachers deserve a raise. “There’s no question about that. But, to be fair, we have to make sure it’s one that reflects the work we have already done with the other half of the public service workers that have already settled.”
The premier also expressed her support for Education Minister Peter Fassbender.
“Everything he is doing to resolve this dispute and get our kids back