Teachers, government return to the bargaining table

NEWS/ SCHOOLS — Negotiators for the two sides in the teachers’ contract dispute will meet today (Friday) to try again.

 

The B.C. Teachers Federation and B.C. Public School Employers’ Association haven’t met for weeks, but  both sides said they’ll bring some new ideas to the table.

Education Minister Peter Fassbender said he’s optimistic a settlement can be reached before the new school year starts in September.

The government says it will give parents of students under 13 a subsidy of $40 a day if a deal isn’t signed by the time school begins.

Between 100 and 150 Kamloops teachers and supporters rallied on Columbia Street on Thursday as a reminder that they’re still on strike even though they haven’t been on the picket lines since the end of the school year.