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B.C. school strike could drag on until September as talks fail

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VANCOUVER — B.C.’s school strike looks set to drag on until September as discussions over the weekend between the teachers, their employer and mediator B.C. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kelleher appear to have failed.

The British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) issued a joint statement Wednesday afternoon.

“The BCPSEA and the BCTF agreed that Mr. Justice Stephen Kelleher would be an acceptable mediator. He had some exploratory discussions with the parties and determined that mediation is not indicated at this time,” the statement says. “The parties appreciate the Supreme Court making him available.”

Both sides stopped talking to the media late last week as they went into exploratory discussions.

Teachers have been on a full-scale strike since June 17, after three weeks of rotating strikes. The government and BCTF have spent 16 months trying unsuccessfully to sign a new collective agreement.

The main issues are wages and rules about class size and composition. The two sides have moved closer on their wage offers (the government is offering seven per cent over six years, the BCTF wants eight per cent over five years). The BCTF wants a $5,000 per teacher signing bonus and the government is offering $1,200.

The BCTF also wants a $225 million annual fund to hire new teachers and deal with class size and composition issues, after winning a B.C. Supreme Court case earlier this year that said the government had illegally stripped the right to bargain class size and composition issues from the teachers’ contract in 2002.

The BCTF also wants a $225 million fund to deal with retroactive grievances by members, as well as to pay for improved medical benefits, professional development and preparation time.

The government is offering to continue a $75 million Learning Improvement Fund, and says it can’t afford the BCTF’s terms.

Meanwhile, several districts have cancelled summer school after the province’s labour board ruled last week that schools must hold summer classes for students in Grades 10 to 12 who failed a course which cannot be retaken next year.

Teachers vowed to picket summer schools if a new contract can’t be reached with the BC Public School Employers’ Association.

Vancouver and Surrey, the province’s two largest districts, have not yet decided if summer school will be cancelled.

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