The Revelstoke Teachers’ Association (RTA) on Friday called for mediation in their ongoing contract dispute with the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and the province. The RTA issued a media release a day after Education Minister George Abbott said he would begin the process to bring about an end to year-long teachers contract negotiations.
“Mediation would be a fair way to resolve the current dispute between the BCTF and BCPSEA,” says RTA President, Jennifer Wolney.
The RTA called upon the province not to impose a contract through negotiation.
“The BCTF is urging BCPSEA to accept the offer to mediate the dispute and the RTA has requested in writing that the Board of Education Trustees for Revelstoke support this action,” the RTA said in a media release.
“If the provincial really wants to show respect for teachers then it needs to be willing to come to a negotiated fair and reasonable contract with the teachers of BC,” said RTA president Jennifer Wolney. “ Minister Abbot has repeatedly suggested that legislation would be used to impose and agreement and it seems that from the beginning the government has had no intention of respectfully bargaining a collective agreement with teachers.”
