The President elect of the BC Teachers Federation says contract negotiations with the province remain positive.
“It is a different context at the table. It is a different government. We have some optimism that we are going to be able to work things out at the bargaining table.”
Teri Mooring says both sides have been meeting regularly and there are plenty of bargaining dates left.
“We are confident that we are going to be able to get a collective agreement that works for both employer and the union. We are optimistic that is going to happen. We are kind of in the middle of talks right now. We have been talking since the beginning of February and we have sessions booked until the end of June. So we have lots and lots of time in order to get a collective agreement.”
Mooring says salary as always is a big issue but she feels there is room to “get creative” and work around the provincial mandate of three year deals with 2% pay hikes in each year.
“Well we know that other unions were able to look at salary grids and were able to look at market adjustments and those sorts of things. So we are optimistic we can find some solutions to these problems.
She says the other big issues are teacher training, recruitment, and of course class size and composition.
B.C.’s Education minister says he too is “cautiously optimistic” a deal can be reached with teachers by the June 30th self imposed deadline.
Rob Fleming says both sides have been bargaining this week and every week since negotiations began in February.
Fleming says he is satisfied with the news he is getting from the table.
“I will leave the bargaining at the bargaining table. Every indication is they are in a productive period of discussions, exchanging proposals, and hearing and listening to one another. That was the main thing for me as minister to set the table with respect for teachers. The previous government literally went to war with teachers. Our government wanted to take a completely different approach.”
As for how bargaining class size and composition in this round of talks is impacting negotiations.
“It is too early to tell how that will be shaped. We have said very clearly that the Supreme Court funds that are on the table they are secure. We are not looking for a reduction in any amount that has been awarded to them. We have enhanced what was put into the agreement that was shaped by the court decision.”
Class size and composition has not been negotiated at the table between the province and the teachers for almost two decades.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2016 the province illegally stripped the right to bargain class size and composition from teachers in 2002 and restored it in full the language of the 2002 collective agreement.
