Collective bargaining is the best way to reach a settlement between the BC Teachers' Federation and the BC Public School Employers' Association, says the School District 43 board of education.
In a statement emailed to media outlets Monday, the board reaffirmed its support for the collective bargaining process, as it is "always a preferred method."
According to the statement, the work of teachers is "valued" and the board "respects that job action is sometimes part of the collective bargaining process" and "works hard to ensure that the guidelines are honoured."
The statement comes after nearly a year of negotiations and five months into a labour dispute in which teachers aren't doing administrative duties.
The impasse prompted the province to appoint assistant deputy minister Trevor Hughes to make one last effort to find common ground between the B.C. government and public school teachers. He has until Feb. 23 to come up with possible solutions to the year-long deadlock.
Meanwhile, bargaining is expected to continue Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday with the BCTF and BCPSEA agreeing on an agenda for each session to make the meetings more effective.
The BCTF is seeking a 15% wage increase over three years while the employers have a "net zero" mandate. (However, the BCTF has released a list of public sector union settlements that have included raises in the past two years, including the Delta Police, Surrey firefighters and B.C ambulance paramedics.)
Last week, Education Minister George Abbott said back-to-work legislation can be quickly drafted and passed in the legislature, if Hughes confirms that there is no hope for a negotiated settlement.
Under the current job action, teachers haven't been writing report cards, supervising recess, and other administrative tasks. Instead, managers and principals are doing those duties.
- with files from Tom Fletcher
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