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Latest tactic unfair to teachers

The BC Public School’s Employer Association has asked School board trustees to consider a lock out and pay cuts for teachers across BC.

The BC Public School’s Employer Association has asked School board trustees to consider a lock out and pay cuts for teachers across BC.

This doesn’t make sense because the government declared teachers an essential service in 2002 making unsupervised strike action illegal.

How is it okay for the government to lock out a group of people they attempted to bar from striking?

Furthermore, media outlets are exaggerating the effects phase one of job action is having on students.  Phase one was purposefully designed to have as little impact on students as possible.

So, if the powers-that-be believe not doing unnecessary paper-pushing tasks is hurting students, how can they think a lock out will not?

Phase one of job action is aimed at making the administrator’s job a bit more difficult in order to put pressure on the provincial employers association, BCPSEA to bargain in good faith.  Phase one has very little impact on students and is even improving learning conditions as it gives teachers extra time to focus on their own curriculum development.

Two common misconceptions about phase one are that teachers will not be writing report cards and that teachers are not sponsoring extra- curricular activities.  Teachers will still be giving report cards to parents and students.  They will not be putting marks into the government’s disastrous online data-collection software, BCeSIS, nor will they be giving a copy of the report card to administration.

During phase one teachers are still continuing with their volunteer extra- curricular activities, just drive past a school and you will see the football or track teams practicing.

By threatening lock outs and pay cuts and refusing to bring anything to the bargaining table, the Liberal government is not respecting rights of collective bargaining repeating their pattern of illegal behavior.

Do not allow this government to threaten our democracy with their draconian measures, tell your local trustee to take a stand!

Christie Jago

Prince George