DELTA — The battle between teachers and government is intensifying with the province throwing a salvo back as teachers undertake rotating strikes this week.
In a letter to the B.C. Teachers' Federation last Wednesday, B.C. Public School Employers' Association public administrator Michael Marchbank warned of a "partial lockout" to commence Monday. Teachers earlier announced a series of one-day strikes that will impact all school districts this week. Delta schools are scheduled to be behind picket lines today.
It's part of the teachers' second stage of job action as negotiations drag and the war of words escalates.
After four days of rotating strikes this week, all schools are to open again by this Friday, however that hasn't stopped the employers' association, which bargains on behalf of the provincial government, from issuing notice of punitive measures should the rotating strikes proceed.
The letter states that salaries will be reduced by five per cent as of Monday, but that will increase to 10 per cent if the teachers walk off the job. Teachers will be forbidden from working during lunch and recess, and they can only arrive at school 45 minutes before classes start and must leave 45 minutes after classes are finished.
"The BCTF was told in advance that the lockout would not take place if they ended their Stage 1 strike action. They refused to do so. In order for the lockout out to now be withdrawn, it is BCPSEA's position that there would either have to be a new collective agreement signed off or the cessation of all strike action by the union," the association stated.
BCTF president Jim Iker in response said that as a result of these latest directives, teachers could be disciplined for helping a struggling student at lunch hour.
What's more, extra-curricular activities, including clubs, drama, music and sports will be cancelled, graduation ceremonies will be impacted and final exams for some senior secondary students will not be marked.
None of these impacts would have occurred under the teachers' job action plan, according to the union.
"We were careful to ensure that already scheduled extra-curricular and volunteer activities continued. We wanted to minimize the impact on students," Iker said. "During rotating strikes, teachers would continue all volunteer activities four out of five days a week."
The lockouts will also impact all Grade 10 English students and Social Studies 11 students who are scheduled to write their provincial exams on June 24. With all secondary schools under lockout beginning June 25, there will be no teachers to mark thousands of exams, according to the federation.
On the weekend, the federation president suggested rotating strikes would continue week-to-week.
Delta Teachers' Association president Paul Steer told the Optimist the employers' association's provocative move against teachers' legal job action is bewildering, especially considering teachers have given plenty of warning about withdrawing services.
"When we realized we needed to escalate to Stage 2, by going up to one day of full withdrawal, again very reluctantly because our preference is to get a reasonable deal at the table, we gave way beyond the minimal notice," said Steer.
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