It might be a long weekend, but the President of the BC Teacher’s Federations says they’re willing to bargain through the weekend, if needed.

Speaking on the NL Morning News, Teri Mooring is confident that a deal can still be struck before the school year begins on Tuesday.

“We’re still committed to that end but it does take two. Both sides need to be fully committed, and so we are,” she said. “We have today, and we’re fully prepared as I said to go through to the weekend, and we know that it’s important for students and their families and for teachers to start the school year with a deal in place.”

Class size and composition, as well as teacher shortages and salaries are the main sticking points of these negotiations, Mooring adding the BCTF has been clear that concessions need to come off the table.

“That we’re not interested in rolling back student learning conditions and we’re not interested in sort of going back from out court win,” she said. “We spent 16 years fighting for that language to come back. We know it’s open for negotiation, and we know it’s not set in stone but on the other hand, we’re also not interested in rolling those learning conditions back.”

She says if a deal is not reached this weekend, there are a number of things that could happen.

“That includes additional dates being sought and so you know there are lots of conversations that would have to happen after the start of the school year and we’re hoping that we’re not in that situation,” Mooring said.

“There’s no reason why we should be. We’ve been bargaining for a number of months now.”

Asked about the potential of job action, Mooring says those conversations would have to happen if talks drag on. She previously said that even with no deal, there is no scenario where teachers would undertake job action before the school year begins.

Teachers have been without a contract since July 1. Earlier this week, Education Minister Rob Fleming said he was “a little surprised” that teacher contract negotiations has taken this long.