Knowing their proposal was already rejected, more than 30,000 B.C. teachers voted nearly unanimously Wednesday to end their strike if the B.C. government will send their dispute to binding arbitration.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender, who earlier dismissed the province-wide vote as a “ploy,” had a statement waiting when the result was announced Wednesday evening by the B.C. Teachers’ Federation.
“As we have consistently made clear, binding arbitration would lead to unacceptable tax increases in this case,” Fassbender said. “That’s because the two sides remain too far apart on wages and benefits.”
BCTF president Jim Iker said the government is obstructing solutions to the dispute.
“This government has said no to arbitration, has tried to stall and block mediation, and has not moved on any monetary proposals in negotiations since June,” Iker said.
Finance Minister Mike de Jong said the union is seeking $315 million per year more than the government is offering, including wages, benefits and a fund to reduce class size and increase special needs support.
Now in the fourth week of full-scale strike action that began last spring, the BCTF received $8 million Wednesday from the B.C. Federation of Labour to use as a hardship fund for teachers who have lost more than four weeks’ pay. The B.C. Nurses’ Union put in another $500,000.
