B.C. teachers' strike and lockout: 8 things you need to know
What does the B.C. teachers' contract dispute mean for students and parents? The CBC's legislative reporter Stephen Smart answers your most pressing questions.
1. Are Grade 12 exams and final marks affected?
Not at this point. Currently there are no provincial exams scheduled on days where job action is set to take place. But if that was to change, the issue would likely be sent to the Labour Relations Board to be declared an essential service as has happened in previous disputes.
2. What's going to happen to my grad ceremony?
There is no rule that prohibits teachers from continuing to be involved in graduation events. The employer considers such activities to be extra-curricular and as such volunteer. So they don't fall into the category of paid work being scaled back.
The B.C. Public School Employers' Association says in a May 22nd memo to teachers that "there is nothing in the lockout that prevents BCTF members from continuing to participate in such activities as graduation, sports, and awards events."
The BCPSEA notes some teachers may choose not to take part and some schools may scale down events as a result, but that would be by choice. For example, a high school in Greater Victoria where graduation ceremonies are taking place on the same day as the rotating teacher strike is not being affected.
3. Can parents still meet with teachers?
Yes. The information given to teachers from the government clearly states: "Nothing in the lockout order prevents individual teachers from discussing student needs or concerns with their colleagues or school administration. Teachers are also still free to meet with students or contact parents as needed."
That being said, there is confusion on the part of teachers about how this fits with other rules saying teachers cannot work during lunch and cannot work for more than 45 minutes before or after school.
4. Who is looking after children at recess and lunch?
Teachers stopped performing supervisory duties at recess and lunch on April 23 as part of their stage 1 job action. These duties have since been handled by administrators and other staff, except in certain districts where a lack of staff has prompted the cancellation of recess.
5. What is likely to happen after next week's rotating strikes if there is no deal?
Contract talks between the teachers and government scheduled for Friday have been cancelled and it's expected teachers will conduct two weeks of rotating strikes before the teachers' union calls for a vote on whether to escalate to stage 3 — a full strike.
6. Will the government table back-to-work legislation (again)?
It's too soon to tell, but given the status of bargaining, that is a definite possibility if the two sides can't come to a deal.
There have been three legislated contracts and one legislated cooling-off period since provincewide bargaining was established in the mid-1990s.
7. Whose fault is all this anyway?
This is a dysfunctional bargaining relationship that has only managed to get two negotiated contracts in the past 20 years. The parties can't even agree on who's demanding what, let alone come to a settlement.
Both sides are at fault for inflaming the situation and not realizing years ago that the status quo isn't working and finding a way to fix it.
8. What is the schedule of the rotating strike?
Monday, May 26
#5 - Southeast Kootenay #6 - Rocky Mountain #28 - Quesnel #39 - Vancouver #40 - New Westminster #48 - Sea to Sky #49 - Central Coast #59 - Peace River South #62 - Sooke #67 - Okanagan Skaha #72 - Campbell River #74 - Gold Trail #75 - Mission #78 - Fraser-Cascade #82 - Coast Mountains #85 - Vancouver Island North #87 – Stikine
Tuesday, May 27
#10 - Arrow Lakes. #19 - Revelstoke. #20 - Kootenay-Columbia. #23 - Central Okanagan. #27 - Cariboo-Chilcotin. #35 - Langley. #38 - Richmond. #42 - Maple Ridge. #52 - Prince Rupert. #54 - Bulkley Valley. #63 - Saanich. #68 - Nanaimo. #70 - Alberni. #81 - Fort Nelson. #83 - North Okanagan-Shuswap.
Wednesday, May 28
#8 - Kootenay Lake. #34 - Abbotsford. #37 - Delta. #43 - Coquitlam. #47 - Powell River. #50 - Haida Gwaii. #51 - Boundary. #53 - Okanagan Similkameen. #60 - Peace River North. #61 - Greater Victoria. #69 - Qualicum. #73 - Kamloops Thompson. #84 - Vancouver Island West. #91 - Nechako Lakes. #92 - Nisga’a.
Thursday May, 29
#22 - Vernon. #33 - Chilliwack. #36 - Surrey. #41 - Burnaby. #44 - North Vancouver. #45 - West Vancouver. #46 - Sunshine Coast. #57 - Prince George. #58 - Nicola Similkameen. #64 - Gulf Islands. #71 - Comox. #79 - Cowichan Valley.
School District #93 (Conseil Scolaire Francophone) schools will be closed with others in their local communities throughout the week.
