A new round of contract negotiations between the province and the BC Teachers Federation will get going in about a week.

Chair of the BC Public School Employers Association Alan Chell says the two sides are in preliminary talks now.

“We are scheduled to exchange proposals starting the week of February 18th. What we are doing right now is we are having some preliminary discussions to just to set ourselves up for success. So we are having a few days of preliminary talks so when we get to the week of February 18th and exchange proposals we will be ready to get going full speed into collective bargaining.”

While talks with the teachers’ union can be contentious the two sides seem to agree on the term of a new deal.

“I think it is no secret when you look at the unions that have already settled it is a three year mandate and so we are on the same page there.”

Chell says they are looking for a deal within the provincial bargaining mandate of 2% raises in each year of a three year deal.

He says both sides are “highly motivated” to get a new deal done before the current contract expires on June 30th.

However Chell says that is a tough challenge noting this will be the first contract talks in almost 20 years to include class size and composition provisions.

“It is the most complex set of bargaining that either part has ever experienced. These are very critical issues and they have not had the ability to be bargained since 2001 or 2002. Education has evolved in terms of the curriculum and in terms of how classrooms are organized and how supports are provided. Now we are going to have to sort of fast forward from where it was.”

He says the two sides have 50 dates scheduled meaning they will meet with the exception of spring break three or four days every week until the end of June.