Minimal progress in bargaining has forced Vernon school teachers into a province-wide strike vote.
The vote, if successful, would provide a mandate for teach-only job action to begin Sept. 6. Voting results are expected no later than June 29.
If a vote is successful, teachers would still be in class educating students, but would not perform other administrative duties such as entering information on computer databases, meeting with administrators and administering mandated tests.
Since talks began in March, with the goal to sign an agreement by June 30, no progress has been made at the provincial bargaining table, and little progress has been made locally.
“Teachers are frustrated with the lack of progress,” said Bruce Cummings, president of the Vernon Teachers’ Association.
Teachers are seeking improvements to ensure they keep up with Canadian standards, but the association says the government has only offered concessions and contract stripping.
Improvements to class size, class composition, preparation time and updating and improving outdated language in the current collective agreement are also being sought by teachers.
They also want a fair wage increase, to ensure B.C. teacher salaries are in line with Alberta, Ontario and Western Canada. This province’s teachers are scheduled for a zero per cent wage settlement, while Ontario teachers will get a three per cent hike and Alberta teachers will see a 4.4 per cent increase.
In September, B.C. teachers salaries will rank eighth in Canada, with an average B.C. teacher with 10 year’s experience earning $21,000 less than a teacher with equivalent experience in Alberta.
Preparation time for B.C. elementary teachers is also the lowest in Canada – 90 minutes per week.
“Quality teaching means ensuring the profession remains an attractive career opportunity,” said Cummings. “Salaries which are not competitive will not attract the best to teaching. Combined with the high level of stress, overwork and large class sizes, B.C. is hardly on a path to make our very good public schools even better.
“Significant improvements are required simply for us to catch up with Western Canadian averages.”
There will be a net loss of eight teaching positions in the Vernon district in the upcoming school year in spite of the district’s funding protection for declining enrolment.
