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BC Teachers rotating strikes to continue next week

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 29 May, 2014 12:25 PM
    British Columbia teachers will continue with their rotating strikes after unions dispute with the government maintains. 
     
    Every school in the province will be closed for one day next week- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. 
     
    Education Minister Peter Fassbender called for the BCTF to negotiate a settlement.
     
    "Children and communities are continuing to be held hostages and put in the middle of this dispute," Fassbender told media. 
     
    "We have been at the table since we were re-elected last June and we've been willing to negotiate. And here's the bottom line: 24-7, we'll be at the table to hammer out a negotiated settlement. We need the other party of this negotiation to be at the table, willing to negotiate."
     
    Meanwhile, in a press release the union stated that the provincial government was still declining to table the necessary funding to reach agreement on issues such as class size, composition, staffing levels and wages for teachers. 
     
    "BC teachers are committed to negotiating a fair and reasonable settlement at the bargaining table," said Jim Iker, president of the BC Teachers' Federation. 
    "We also expect the government to be flexible on its wage demands and show some good faith and willingness to move. Teaches know that bargaining is about compromise, but we cannot be the only ones expected to move." 
     
    The union indicated that up to 150,000 students have been out of classes every day that teachers walk the picket lines.
     
    Major issues concerning the union include wages. The government is offering a 7.3 per cent wage increase over six years, whereas teachers want 13.7 per cent over four years. 
     
    Following is a list of the strike schedule:
     
    Monday, June 2
     
    #20 - Kootenay-Columbia
    #23 - Central Okanagan
    #27 - Cariboo-Chilcotin
    #35 - Langley
    #37 - Delta
    #38 - Richmond
    #42 - Maple Ridge
    #52 - Prince Rupert
    #59 - Peace River South
    #63 - Saanich
    #68 - Nanaimo
    #70 - Alberni
    #83 - North Okanagan-Shuswap
     
    Tuesday, June 3
     
    #10 - Arrow Lakes
    #19 - Revelstoke
    #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
    #81 - Fort Nelson
     
    Thursday, June 5
     
    #8 - Kootenay Lake
    #34 - Abbotsford
    #43 - Coquitlam
    #47 - Powell River
    #50 - Haida Gwaii
    #51 - Boundary
    #53 - Okanagan Similkameen
    #54 - Bulkley Valley
    #60 - Peace River North
    #61 - Greater Victoria
    #69 - Qualicum
    #73 - Kamloops Thompson
    #84 - Vancouver Island West
    #91 - Nechako Lakes
    #92 - Nisga’a
     
    Friday, June 6
     
    #5 - Southeast Kootenay
    #6 - Rocky Mountain
    #28 - Quesnel
    #39 - Vancouver
    #40 - New Westminster
    #48 - Sea to Sky
    #49 - Central Coast
    #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