Teachers set Tues., June 17 for full strike

NEWS/ SCHOOLS — B.C.’s teachers will hit the picket lines full time next Tuesday as they escalate from rotating walkouts to a full-scale strike.

BCTF president Jim Iker made the announcement at an early morning media conference today (Thursday), saying 72-hour strike notice has been issued.

On Monday, the teachers will hold a “study session day,” Iker said. That means teachers will gather off school sites but won’t put up picket lines.

Each school district will decide whether or not to close classes for the day.

Rotating strikes will continue today (Thursday) and Friday, meaning Kamloops-Thompson teachers will be on the picket lines again on Friday.

Iker said he’s hopeful bargaining will bring a deal before Tuesday. He said negotiators will continue bargaining through the weekend. “We have the next few days to avert a full-scales strike.”

If a deal isn’t reached before Tuesday, today could be the last day of school for Kamloops-Thopson students.

Iker acknowledged teachers have been advised to take personal items home from their classrooms as the end of the school year approaches but “We should all be hopeful here.”

The teachers voted 86 per cent Monday and Tuesday of this week to give their negotiators a mandate to call a full-scale strike.

In results released Tuesday night, 33,387 teachers voted, and 28,809 of them said yes to a full-scale strike.

Iker said bargaining with the B.C. Public School Employers Association will continue through the weekend. “We hope that escalation can actually be avoided. There are still several days left.”

The BCTF has revised all of its proposals, he told reporters, but he declined to give any details.

“Our teachers are deeply committed to getting a fair deal. We want to make our B.C. education system better… We don’t go on strike just to walk a picket line.”

Asked about teachers who say they’re hurting financially because of the job action, Ike said, “I understand that we’re all feeling some of the financial hardship in terms of not being paid.”

He said there will be discussions between the two sides today and face-to-face meetings Friday.

“We’re ready to move and my message to Christy clark is come to the table with new funding and an open mind.”

But he said teachers must see improvements to funding for class size, composition and special assistance, as well as a “fair” wage offer.