Few details, but Iker recommends deal

NEWS/ SCHOOLS — A tired looking B.C. Teachers Federation president Jim Iker told a media conference today (Tuesday) teachers are being asked to vote yes on a tentative six-year ontract settlement so teachers and students can get back in classes “doing what they love doing, teaching and learning.”

Iker refused to release details of the deal, saying that would have to wait until after teachers vote on Thursday, but he said concession language was taken off the table by government negotiators, that new teaching positions will be created, the controversial article E80 is gone, and there will be improvements in salary, health and dental.

He wouldn’t confirm the agreement includes a 7.5 per cent pay increase as rumoured in the media.

Iker said teachers’ gain won the courtroom are being protected. “An important piece was insuring that there was going to be no negotiating away our court rights and victory on restoration. That has been protected.”

Asked if he thought education has been strengthened by the results of the strike, he said, “Our stand was for public education, and was for starting to address the issues in our classroom in terms of our students’ learning needs and our working needs.”

He said the agreement includes no specifics on improving the relationship between teachers and the provincial government, but “It’s always our hope to begin developming a positive relationship with government, and so I’m hoping that we can sit down and start working toward that relationship.”

Iker said schools will open “sometime next week.”

Premier Christy Clark said at an earlier media conference the settlement won’t result in a tax increase. “We’ve found a way to give teachers a fair raise, to improve classroom composition, to really make it work for teachers while at the same time making it work for taxpayers.”