Today's debate at the legislative assembly - Oral Question on #BCED

You can also watch the QP here: Question Period


DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(HANSARD)

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HOUSE BLUES

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2014

Afternoon Sitting

Oral Questions

LOCKOUT IN TEACHERS' LABOUR DISPUTE

J. Horgan: Well, we've had 12 years of B.C. Liberal meddling in negotiations with teachers, with trustees, with support workers. We've had 12 years of confusion. You could call it a generational confusion, because the kids that were in grade 1 in 2002, when the then minister or the current Premier capriciously ripped out class size and class competition language from a collective bargaining agreement and then was told by the courts to renegotiate that position…. A whole generation of kids has gone from grade 1 to graduation this coming month with uncertainty and unease as a result of the actions of this government — not one Supreme Court ruling, but two.

My question is to the Minister of Education. He has said: "The class-size issue is an oxymoron as far as I'm concerned" — we can debate the grammar of that — "because all the research in the world says class size does not determine outcomes."

I would disagree with that and so would thousands of other scholars. But instead of trying to explain when he had time to read all the research in the world, my question is: did he have time to read the convoluted explanation as to why we're locking people out this week when we should be at the bargaining table negotiating a fair collective agreement?

Hon. P. Fassbender: I appreciate the question from the Leader of the Opposition. I will say this. I think if his facts weren't on an Etch a Sketch, when he flips it over and it disappears, then maybe he could stay on track. I'm going to try and help the Leader of the Opposition and the members opposite. I'm going to try and help you understand the reality of what we have done and what we are doing.

This government is committed to negotiated settlements. If you look at our track record, we have been working very hard with the public sector to find negotiated settlements — to work together with trade unions — that respect their rights and also respect the rights of taxpayers in an economic climate that requires some tough decisions.

But it is not this government that initiated this current round of dispute. It is the BCTF that started limited strike action. It is the BCTF that ramped it up this week to rotating walkouts throughout the province. This government, since June, since we were elected, was prepared to sit at the negotiating table every single day to find a negotiated settlement. We are still committed to doing that. We are prepared to meet around the clock, through the summer, to find a negotiated settlement that respects the rights of teachers, of students, of parents, of other labour unions in this province. That is our commitment. That is our goal, because long-term stability is what is important in our education system.

Madame Speaker: Recognizing the Leader of the Opposition on a supplemental.

J. Horgan: As tempting as it is to talk about mechanical bulls and by-products, I think I'll just try and focus in on the minister's comment about the track record of the B.C. Liberals — not one but two examples that went to the Supreme Court and found that the government had contravened the chartered rights of a group of citizens in British Columbia. Not once; twice.

What did they learn from that? They learned more provocation, more disruption, more confusion. Let's be clear. I love to do that. This is what we hear from the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council: "Everybody is confused." That strikes me as not a transparent approach. It's a confusing approach.

Will there be graduation ceremonies? Will we be marking exams? It took five pages in a letter from the chief negotiator, and I'm still not clear. I wasn't reading all of the information in the world, but maybe I could ask the minister…. This is a comment from the Vancouver District PAC association. This is all the PACs in Vancouver.

Interjections.

J. Horgan: Oh, I know that the minister is really concerned about this, so keep your mechanical bull to yourself for a moment, and we'll focus on this: "Parents are more willing to adapt to a one-day schedule change than they are to accept the long-term damage the provincial government is inflicting on the public education system in this province." Long-term damage.

My question is, to the minister: could he try and interpret for the people of British Columbia just what Peter Cameron is doing with the people of this province, and most importantly, the kids that are not in classrooms because of your provocation?

Hon. P. Fassbender: I am more than prepared to ride the wave of misinformation that is coming from the members opposite about what our intent was and what it has been. It is very clear. Mr. Cameron last week clarified exactly why we had to take the steps we did in response to the decisions that were made by the teachers union moving forward. But I would ask the members opposite: where was your concern over a year ago when we had almost a year of limited strike action while we were trying to negotiate a settlement? Where was your concern then when that happened?

Where were the members across the way? Where was their concern a week ago when the BCTF was initiating strike action? Where was the concern then? All I can say, and I say this with all sincerity…. There are none of us that want to see disruption in students' lives, in the lives of their parents and their communities, in the lives of the teachers. We are clearly still at the table, willing to negotiate, asking for a response that is measured and appropriate for everyone in this province.

First and foremost, stability has been our goal. It'll continue to be our goal, and we'll continue to negotiate that.

J. Horgan: A 12-year record of destabilizing public education. A child who started in grade 1 in 2002 has had 12 years of confusion as the result of this government's policies.

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members. The Chair needs to hear the answer and the question.

J. Horgan: Thank you very much, hon. Chair.

My question is to the "Let's be clear" Minister of Education. You've been provoking disruptions in the education system for 12 years. The court has found twice — not once; twice — that you deliberately provoked action so that you could take more pieces of a collective agreement off the table.

What steps will the minister take to ensure that this last month of public education for those kids who were disrupted in 2002 by the then minister, the current Premier…? What steps are you going to do to make those next 30 days an enjoyable experience rather than a chaotic one that rests right at your feet?

Hon. P. Fassbender: I think the Leader of the Opposition, as I said, has selective memory when it comes to the facts.

The facts are Madame Speaker…. We've had a decade of unprecedented labour peace in this province. Another fact for the Leader of the Opposition: just last week or the week before last, we signed another tentative agreement with the HEU that was within the framework. That was a five-year agreement.

I do not believe that even the members of the opposition, who have children and grandchildren, don't want what we want on this side of the House. That is stability, a focus on learning outcomes, a focus on moving forward in transforming our education system to meet the future of this country and this province.

We have learning outcomes. We have learning outcomes that lead the world, that show that we are delivering results. Yes, Madame Speaker, it's absolutely through the hard work of the teachers, who also deserve a fair and negotiated settlement, not labour disruption initiated by their own union.

GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO
TEACHERS' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

R. Fleming: It's déjà vu all over again, Madame Speaker, with these guys. This government has a unique ability to insult the province's teachers.

Last week the Premier said she would resolve bargaining by locking everyone in a room until they'd get a deal. Good. But then she look to the airwaves mere hours later and said teachers are only motivated by greed. She told a radio station that for teachers: "It's all about money. It's never about the quality of education."

Wow. I thought it was this government that wouldn't let bargaining talk about class size and composition issues on the table in this dispute. Can the Education Minister describe how the Premier insulting teachers and then locking kids out from their lunchtime activities and extracurricular activities can in any way help create…?

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members.

R. Fleming: Can the minister describe how the Premier's sum total of her statements on teachers last week in any way helps this week in getting us closer to a settlement to achieve trust and respect at the bargaining table so that our schools in British Columbia are stable and secure?

Hon. P. Fassbender: I appreciate that the critic for the opposition is again taking facts and twisting them to their purpose.

SOURCE

Improvements for Teachers Teaching On Call in new agreement

This agreement has some significant improvements for Teachers Teaching On Call.

The first is a big one. Improvements to union leaves, including leaves for TTOCs.

TOCs who are released for union leave will not have this considered as a break in service for purposes of on-scale pay.

As most TTOCs know, youa re paid a base daily rate each day you work. If you work three consecutive days you then get paid "on scale" until a break in service/work. Unfortunately, in the past, if you worked your consecutive days but one of those days was doing union business, not in the classroom, it would break your "consecutive days" and move you back to your base daily rate.

Now, you can stay on-scale pay, as union leaves or work is NOT an interuption - very exciting, especially for TTOCsx who are active in their union!

The other, less publicized change is that TTOCs will now, officially and universally, be called TTOCs (Teachers-Teaching-On-Call)

Currently, Collective Agreement language varies from local to local. Some are TOCs (Teachers-On-Call) or EOCs (Employees-On-Call) or the old-school "substitutes".

The reason for the name "Teachers-Teaching-On-Call" was to put the focus on the fact that TTOCs are indeed, qualified, trained and able teachers.

The other improvements will benefit most teachersin B.C.

There are other improvements to benefits, leaves, and the concessions surrounding "suitability" and "seniority" are off the table.

It does not address class size and compisition or salary but it does agree to discuss the split of issues (Post & Fill and Layoff & Recall moved to local bargaining) in return for some agreement on Professional Growth and Evaluation language. We will see how this goes in the Fall.

Additionally, in 8 months BCTF and BCPSEA will begin to negotiate once more. This agreement is until June 2013. It is NOT a legislated contract, and there are no concessions, so this is good news for everyone.

To read more about the pros/cons and reasons for coting yes/no to ratify the agreement read here.

Not Only in Wisconsin....

Sadly,' this is not only in Wisconsin' as a colleague pointed out when I re-posted this on facebook.

I recall last year when Scott Walker was governor and tried to destroy unions, strip bargaining rights and eventually was recalled after a major march of public workers to the legislature.  Sounds oddly familiar doesn't it?

It seems a trend lately that governments do not wish to fund puclic sectors and prioritize tax money to other areas, claiming 'net zero' for anything else they do not deem important. It is an obvious move to privatize public sectors to make more money and to have more control over the monies.

I still do not understand how the rich can get richer and the rest of us suffer. Change needs to happen. We have allowed little by little the erosion of our rights, and now government threatens to take them all away in one massive scoop.

Here in B.C. we are in a "cooling off period" which has allowed the government to introduce more bills and laws while forcing us to sit back and "just cool off"

This summer, bargaining will re-open and while we are in mediation currently with the (not so qualified or experienced) Mr. Jago, one wonders what September will look like for our students?

So no, not only in Wisconsin can these things happen... and that worries me. I love my job, I am passionate about education, but the looming unpredictability of public education scares me and I believe in speaking out and taking action to ensure our students are protected and don't lose out in the future because of major losses today.

Staffroom Confidential writes:

We do not need to become partners in backwards reform movements, we need to be principled critics to attacks on union rights and public services. Rather than stating, for example, that yes, perhaps union members should pay some of their health insurance benefits but not too much, we should be arguing that these benefits are part of an overall compensation package that was negotiated and to claw back is equivalent to a pay cut. We need to point out that pensions are simply deferred salary that has been earned, and to claw back pension benefits is to steal that deferred income. We need to remind the public that seniority rights are to protect against discrimination, nepotism and favoritism.

We also need a principled public defense of public services in the public interest. "Reform" has become a euphemism for privatization and it is important to call a spade a spade. Every so-called reform of public services being pushed right now really aims to reduce public spending, curtain service delivery and quality, and to increase the private delivery and control of public services. Think charter schools, for example.

The lesson from Wisconsin is that we need to reform our organizations to ensure that we speak out for what is truly in the public interest, not simply try to lesson the damage. The slogans should not be "These cuts are too deep" but rather "Tax the rich".

Read more here

Province will not allow another year of teacher job act

News 1130
Dave White
May 25, 2012

SURREY (NEWS1130) - Your kids may not have to worry about another year with job action by teachers.

Education Minister George Abbottsays he will bring the teachers' job action to an end in time for the 2012/2013 school year, if a resolution has not been found by the end of the cooling-off period.

"We'll need to have some kind of an agreement in the absence of a mediator agreement, of course we have to look at legislating a solution, it's been done many times over the past 30 years, but it's not something I want to do at all. If it's absolutely necessary to do it, then we would of course do it."

Abbott hopes both sides can reach an agreement, and notes they are still talking, but the minister admits there has not been much softening nearly one year after the dispute started.

Teachers staged a three-day walkout in March and are currently refusing to perform extracurricular duties.     

To view the article, click here

Support BC Teachers - YouTube Video from a young graduate

Teaching in BC - fantastic read

Teaching in BC by a local colleague is an amazing read. I encourage you to read it entirely as she shares her experiences teaching.

Here is one part I particularily enjoyed because I respect Barrie Bennett and have taken a fair amount of Pro D with him and also because it is an analogy that anyone can relate to:


Barrie Bennett, a well-respected professor working out of OISE (the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto) once compared teaching to organizing a children’s birthday party.

He asked all the parents in the room to recall the amount of work and planning that went into the last party they planned. He listed all the things that needed to be prepared ahead of time, things like a cake, presents, goodie bags, balloons, and games. He discussed the challenges of bringing ten or twelve children into a single home for a period of three hours and keeping them suitably entertained. He had everyone visualize the clean-up at the end of the event, and most importantly, had people reflect on how they felt—tired, exhausted, relieved it was over for another year—after the event.

Barrie, eyes twinkling, then asked us to imagine hosting a birthday party, not for ten children, but for thirty. And instead of entertaining the kids for three hours, we had to do it for six. He casually said, “And instead of goody bags, you have to give tests.” There’s no cake. No games, no prizes, no clowns, no balloons. Instead there are required learning outcomes, unit plans, lesson plans, photocopying, adaptations, modifications and mountains of paperwork. Some of the guests won’t want to be there. Some are not ready to be there, and a few will come with adults who will tell you you’re doing it all wrong.

He asked us to recall those feelings of exhaustion after hosting a party again. Then he told us we’d have to do it again the next day. And the one after that. We’d have to plan and host the equivalent of one hundred and eighty parties. And remember, these aren’t parties where the kids are excited to be there, where you can whip out a clown or chocolate fountain to appease the masses. These are parties where there are tests and assignments and bullies and insufficient resources.

Barrie was talking about a typical class where less than 10% of the population is categorized as having special needs.


Her post goes on to talk about her experiences teaching and the conditions and circumstances she faces each day as a Teacher in BC. Please Read her entire post here

Write your MLA's

Here is a list of MLA contact information

If you are not sure who your MLA is you can look it up here

Share your teaching experiences and thoughts. NDP MLAs want to hear your stories and share them, they are against Bill 22.

I will not let the government bully me....

Today I wear pink to stop bullying.

What started as a students message against homophobia and bullying, then grew to represent a stop to all bullying has an especially strong message today for me...

Yesterday the BC Liberals once again took a stab at the heart of public education.

Our government is trying to bully teacher's and Bill 22 is their latest weapon.

I will not be bullied!

How can I teach my students to stand up to bullies then allow George Abbott to bully me and all teachers in BC?

Teacher's put everything they have into their students and into their classrooms, yet have been bullied into a corner once again by a government that does not care about public education. Our rights taken away and threats made on us if we don't do as we are told.

We tell kids to talk about their issues, not fight about them, "use your words" we say... but teacher's won't even be given a chance to "use their words" because mediation can't occur whole heartedly because of BCPSEAs imposed rules prior to even entering mediation.

Teacher's are backed into the corner by the bully and about to lose more than just their lunch money.

Do we want to walk-out and miss days in our classes with our students?
NO

Do we want to have to fight with every ounce of strength for our students right to better learning conditions?
No.

We would rather be in our classes teaching our students.

We would rather the government put "families first" and give every student the opportunity to learn.

...but instead, we are assaulted with a sham of mediation, a bill that strips away even more rights and a government that pushes it's desire for a privatized province onto the people, with the most vulnerable of all British Columbians suffering... the children.

I have always said children are our future, it may be cliche, but it is the truth.

I wonder what message we are sending the 'citizens of the future' when we allow a government to bully us into submission?

Do we want our students to think it is ok to say one thing and do something different?

What lesson is George Abbott teaching us?

Certainly not lessons I wish to share with my students. It is not the way I want to live and that is why I am taking a stand.

I will not allow this government to bully me so that their not-so-hidden-agenda can be achieved.

I will not sit around while people who have never walked a day in MY shoes dictate how my job should look.

I will not sit back knowing that the decisions this government is making will negatively impact students I teach... negatively impact my own daughter's education.

Last night's announcement of Bill 22 made me angry. It made me feel betrayed. It made me upset!

How could 'good-faith' bargaining have ever happened when this kind of legislation was always looming? Why pressure is there for BCPSEA to bargain under these current conditions? And how will true mediation happen with these kinds of parameters set around it?

Teacher's need to take a stand against the bullies!

The rules, regulations and penalties set out in Bill 22 are harsh and intimidating, but I won't be bullied.

I will fight for my students, I will fight for our citizens of the future, because I will NOT let them grow up with the lesson that bullying is ok.


Bill 22
BCTF Press Release

BC Fed Survey shows public support for teachers

Monday February 28, 2012 Teachers across B.C. will participate in a Provincial Day of Action.

This weekend's survey shows the public also support teachers...

The B.C. Federation of Labour released a public opinion survey today that shows British Columbians are on the side of teachers, and overwhelmingly support a negotiated settlement through mediation or arbitration.

“British Columbians are absolutely clear - they want government to negotiate a fair settlement with teachers,” said Sinclair. “They do not want government to act unilaterally.”

“If Premier Clark is on the side of families, she’ll listen to those families who are telling her to support mediation, and if necessary arbitration,” said Sinclair. “On Monday, we expect the Premier’s appointee to the Labour Board to approve mediation and that she’ll abandon her plans to impose a contract through legislation.”

Key findings in the poll include:

•89% support for the appointment of an arbitrator, with the power to end
the dispute
•82% support for the appointment of a mediator
•61% say teachers should hold out for at a least a cost of living increase
(only 32% believe teachers should accept no wage increase)
•63% of parents believe that their children’s learning has not been
affected negatively by the teachers’ job action


Read more at The B.C. Federation of Labour website. See the public opinion survey results here

Are Teacher's and Report Cards an Essential Service?

CBC News Reported:Saskatchewan essential services law struck down.

A Saskatchewan law limiting the ability of public sector workers to go on strike has been ruled unconstitutional by a Queen's Bench judge, but the provincial government says it is still committed to having essential services legislation

The essential services is an interesting concept. If teacher's are an "essential service" why are we not paid and respected as other "essential services"?

My first thought is, how are teacher's an essential sercvice?

To me an essential service is life or death and to my knowledge no one has died from not going to school for a few days. Furthermore, in the current stage of Job Action, teacher's in BC are still teaching. The only major change is no official report cards, however, teacher's are reporting in various other methods, most of which are far more comprehensive and efficient than the official report cards.

As a parent, I am updated on my daughter's progress through notes in her daily agenda book and in-person meetings when neccessary with the teacher.

As a teacher on call, I have been in a number of schools and grade levels and seen the various methods teachers are reporting on their students progress to parents.

Classroom newsletters, notes in planners, emails home, phone calls home, student self-evaluations with teacher remarks, and so on.

In fact, I have loved seeing the various methods of assessment and communication teacher's are using instead of report cards and have to say, I think they are far more comprehensive and informative.

In December, The Coquitlam NOW featured two of my friends and colleagues, Sandra Daviss (Grade 4/5) and Stephanie Duncan (high school)discussing assessment & reporting methods used in their classes.

So are report cards really neccessary as long as the message is getting home?

I think in highschool formal reporting of actual grades is important at the end of term as it is needed to get into post-secondary institutes, however, the various methods of reporting I have seen teacher's use have been far more effective than official report cards.

Why couldn't (even in high school) teacher's continue to report in these various methods. Year-End "grades" may be neccessary for reasons mentioned above, but otherwise what is the significance of a letter grade or a number?

Is a report card essential?

Are teacher's an essential service?

David Komljenovic, BCTF Member-at-large, wrote on facebook:

"Saskatchewan ruled a month ago that the essential services law in that provice was unconstitutional because it interfered in the collective bargaining process to the extent that public sector employees did not have any significant pressure to apply to the table.

The situation with teachers in BC is not very different. After the phase 1 in 2001, teachers were legislated back after the Labour Relations Board ruled that a one day strike on January 28th was legal. In 2005, the plan was to start phase 1 and, should an agreement not be concluded, rotating strikes would start in the middle of October. The government intervened and prevented a strike from occurring. This year (2011/12), teachers were engaged in phase 1 since September. If there is a successful vote on a legal strike, there would be a good argument that interference by the government is significant enough that essential services is unconstitutional for teachers in BC.

A "yes" vote on escalating actions would provide a recourse through the courts as government interference before a strike can be enacted would be consistent with what the Saskatchewan courts found to be unconstitutional."

On Tuesday & Wednesday Teacher's will vote if they are in favour of escalating actions should the government legislate us back to work....

I don't think the government should legislate us back, especially now....

1. Both parties have agreed to mediation
2. What would they legislate us back to? Writing report cards? We ARE teaching we ARE working!
3. If mediation doesn't help, there are still other actions that could be taken.
4. Collective Bargaining is the way to go, BCTF wanted local bargaining on some issues from day one, and they were turned down... if local issues had been taken to the local table from the start, at least SOME issues could be dealt with already locally. Both parties need to bargain in good faith, and sadly one party is clearly not!

Why is Bargaining NOW important ?

**Warning - Rant Alert...

A lot of TTOCs I have spoken to have a lot of questions about Job Action and what is going on right now with teachers. TTOCs go into numerous classrooms and teach hundreds of students a week (sometimes a day).

When I first started TTOCing 6 years ago I had no idea how anything worked. How did I get my own classroom? Why was I paying union dues? Why was there a teacher strike during my practicum?

I just came out of University and wanted to teach. I loved each day's new experiences and knew very little about the 2006 job action except that it post-poned part of my practicum.

As time has passed I have become very involved and so when a TTOC asks "Why is this important?" or "What is this about?" I am glad to share with them my reasons....

TTOCs are often new(er) teachers (though not always) and bargaining now is to create a future for them in their long careers as teachers.

Teacher's Working Conditions = Student's Learning Conditions.


We became teacher's because we love kids and we are passionate about education. But, far too often, we allow ourselves to suffer and it takes a toll. Bargaining for improvements to our working conditions leads to more positive learning environments and our students deserve that! Heck, teacher's deserve that!

TTOC's benefited in the last round of bargaining..... Remember Vince Ready's Report?

TTOCs gained the ability to be paid on scale after the 4th consecutive day of work and to earn seniority on the 4th consecutive day of work.

Last round of bargaining also gave TTOCs a minimum daily rate of pay, which significantly helped teachers-on-call in some districts who were paid extremely less than teachers-on-call in other districts.

TTOCs felt more valued and appreciated with these changes.

Bargaining Now....

Salary improvements will help TTOCs (who are now paid on scale on the 4th consecutive day) and new teacher's starting their careers. But, despite the media's focus on salary, that is not the only thing teacher's are trying to negotiate....

Class Size and Composition Improvements = More full time Positions - more manageable class sizes

Teacher's have taken 0% salary increases in the past to secure class size and composition language that would keep class sizes manageable and create better learning environments for students. Unfortunately the government stipped that language (illegally!) and so teacher's felt they took the 0% and still got 0 in the way of classroom improvements.

Now we are playing catch-up. Teacher's have asked for what the media screams is a massive 15%, but, the 15% is broken down as follows:

year one - 3% Cost of Living Allowance & 0% increase
year two - 3% COLA 3% market adjustment
year 3 - 3% COLA 3% market adjustment

The reason this is neccessary is because right now our teachers are 9th in the country as far as pay goes, with one of the highest costs of living.

We have fallen behind the rest of the country for salary and we are losing amazing teacher's to neighbouring provinces who have lower cost of living, higher salaries and other benefits such as increased preparation time.

Net zero (0%) is equivalent to a pay cut because of inflation (2011 inflation was 3%) To stop the gap widening between BC and other provinces we need a 12% wage increase (Alberta is $21,000/ year higher=20%+) Net zero (0%) over three years would widen the gap to $30,000/year.

The net-zero hasn't been followed in other public sectors.

BC Nurses – 3% for 2009, 3% for 2010, 3% for 2011
Treasury Board of Canada (PSA) – 1.75% for 2011, 1.5% for 2012, 2% for 2013
CN Railway (Teamsters) – 2.4% for 2010, 3% for 2011, 3% for 2012
Kamloops Municipal Employees (CUPE) – 2% FOR 2011, 2% for 2012, 2% for 2013
Surrey Firefighters- 3% for 2010, 2.5% for 2011
North Cowichan Municipal Employees (CUPE) – 2% for 2010, 2.5% for 2011, 2.5% for 2012, 3% for 2013
CN Railway (CAW) – 2.4% for 2011, 2.6% for 2012, 3% for 2013, 3% for 2014
Comox District Municipal Employees (CUPE) – 2% for 2010, 2% for 2011, 3% for 2012, 2% for 2013
Vancouver Police – 2.95% for 2010, 2.95% for 2011, 1.25% for 2012, 1.3% for 2013
Quesnel Municipal Employees (CUPE) – 0% for 2010, 1.5% for 2011, 2%for 2012
BC Rapid Transit – 3% for 2010
Canada Revenue Agency (PSA) – 1.5% for 2010, 1.5% for 2011
Courtenay Municipal Employees (CUPE) – 2% f0r 2011, 2% for 2012, 2.75% for 2013, 2.25% for 2014
BC Paramedics – 3% for 2010
Revelstoke Municipal Employees – 1.25% for 2010, 1.25% for 2011, 1.5% for 2012, 1.5% for 2013

Over the period 2000 -2010, average public sector wages in BC have risen by 16.9% while private sector wages have risen by 25%.

I wonder why it is being so strictly enforced with teachers... no give... which is what is needed in bargaining and negotiations, compromise....

We say 15% and they say 0%

Compromise would allow both parties to find something in the middle.

Besides Salary and Class Size and Composition Improvements, there are other things that teacher's would like and as a TTOC I could see some areas of improvement as well...

Benefit improvements could mean more affordable benefits for TTOCs as well as more working days for TTOCs if teachers are able to stay home when they are sick instead of drag themselves to school anyways. I would love to see an ability to acrue sick days as a TTOC. Not neccessarily in the same way a full-time classroom teacher's acrues them, but perhaps a formula that allows TTOCs to earn and use sick days. TTOCs often can not afford the opt-in benefits and many do not get enough work so they will go in even if they are sick because they need the paid day. Benefit improvements would help all teacher's especially because working with kids we are more exposed to all the illnesses that go around each year.

Not to mention prep time for teacher's who put in hours of their own time before school, after school, weekends, lunches, to photocopy, plan, mark, collaborate, learn, tweak lessons and so on...

So there is more than just salary that teacher's are looking for, though that is certainly an important piece.

Unfortunately, if we don't fight for these improvements, we may end up with strips such as elimination of seniority, use of "suitability for hire", use of "performance reports" for hiring, no requirements for posting jobs or filling jobs, control of professional development and more.

So to new teacher's, TTOCs and other teacher's (most likely hired in or after 2006) these are some reasons I think it is important to be aware of what is going on with bargaining. It is important to stay informed and it is important to get involved. It is our future!

With improvements to our working conditions we can see improvements to our students learning conditions and all feel like we did fresh out of university - with that burning passion to just teach!

**End Rant... But, I did warn you

BCTF VIdeo: Problem/Solution

BCTF Video: Interests

[Information regarding TTOCs and Bargaining from TTOC ALert #3 prepared by the BCTF TTOC AC]

Day of Action Monday February 27, 2012 - WEAR BLACK

Teacher's across BC will wear black Monday to show support for teacher's and send a message to the government... "negotiate don't legislate"

Please wear Black to show your support!!!

What if teachers adopted "Net Zero"?

*Read this on Kevin Epp's facebook page and loved it so much I had to share...

What if teachers adopted "Net Zero"?

Well, if they did, things would change dramatically in schools.

First, the "collaborative meetings" which Minister Abbott claims are so important wouldn't happen. Teachers are not paid, nor required to attend meetings (except for one staff meeting a month) outside the school day.

Field trips wouldn't happen. Since the planning, organizing, and collecting of money, forms and other things necessary for these trips to happen are not part of our work. While away with students, teachers are away from their families. Parents who chaperone go along by choice, and teachers who organize and run these trips also do so by choice.

Extra help at lunch time, or after school would also cease. Teachers are paid only for class time. Although, for a fee, tutoring would be available as it is in the classified section of the paper. The marking and preparation of lessons, report cards, adaptation of work for children with special needs, and many other things are all done on our time.

Sports, clubs, science fairs, music performances and theatre performances would stop. Most of these things are done outside of the work day and 'outside' of the 'hours of work' for teachers. Tournaments, play days, track meets, assemblies, performances, all require hundreds of hours of work. That work is unpaid. We get our summer off. Yes we do. Most of us need it to make it up to our families who don't see us when we're away on field trips, tournaments, or at performances.

Teachers would start telling students who don't have a pen, pencil, eraser, paper, or calculator that the classroom runs on "Net Zero". The teacher will no longer give them the materials. It seems that some people don't realize that there are no cupboards filled with these things in schools, and teachers spend, on average, $500 dollars of their own money for supplies they give away. Perhaps teachers should start to charge 'user fees' like the government does.

Graduation ceremonies would have to be taken over by others. Who? I don't know. Teachers at secondary schools spend countless hours organizing the grad ceremonies at every high school in the province. That is not paid work nor a requirement.

Reference letters and assistance with university applications would also need to be taken over by others, again, who would do this is unclear. If not, then perhaps, like others, letters and forms would be completed by teachers, however, under the Net Zero Mandate, those would be only completed for a fee.

Net Zero by teachers would mean, go to school just before the morning bell, teach your students, leave for lunch (since those in the private sector can go out for lunch...MLAs get lunch for free....) return to teach for the afternoon, and leave promptly after the last bell.

No lunch time activities like student council meetings, practices, extra help sessions, meetings, phone calls, parent interviews, rehearsals.....and.....

No afterschool practices, extra help sessions, meetings, phone calls, rehearsals, field trip organization, grad planning, open houses, and...............

Nope. Not anymore. Not under the Net Zero (teaching) Mandate.

Our government claims that along with no salary increase for teachers (who are ninth in salary in Canada but live in the most expensive province) they also need to take away other rights from teachers.

They want to roll back health benefits, take away job security, and provide even less for kids that need extra support.

Why haven't teachers adopted the "Net Zero" (teaching) Mandate? Because we are professionals who care about kids. Because we didn't get into this career to just earn dollars. Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for teachers is a lost tradition.
 
[copied this from Kevin Epp, President at Okanagan Skaha Teachers' Union status on Facebook]

New Teacher in BC? Explore your options...

If I knew then what I know now... 6 years ago I began my teaching career. Back then you were almost always hired as a TTOC, nowadays, not.so.much.

Yes, it was 6 years ago that I finished my teacher-training program and entered the world of teaching-on-call.

6 years later and I am still waiting, hoping, trying to get my own classroom or continuing contract.

But after that, I get to enter the lay-off/recall procedures, which means I may not have my "own" class for a few more years... I may be moved around several times before I can settle into one grade/level/subject...

and so, my garage is still filled with boxes and boxes of resources for every grade level and subject I have ever encountered... much to my husbands dismay... 22 boxes...

My friends considering teaching in BC, I say, explore your options... I love it here, yes, but if I knew I would be on-call for this long, with unpredictable work and the government's net-zero mandate that aims to destroy public education... well... I may have moved my then young family to somewhere with a brighter future....

This was a great read from a blog I enjoy:

Ah BC, the greatest place on Earth. Let me count the ways:

1. Highest child poverty rate
2. Greatest inequality
3. Expensive housing

The mountains are beautiful, but is it really worth it?

Probably not, if you are a new teacher, starting your career.

Here are some facts to consider about cross Canada comparisons (Out of the 13 Provinces and Territories) for teaching salaries, education spending and working conditions:

-Starting salaries with 5 years of university education: 11th
-Starting salaries with a Masters degree: 12th
-Student teacher ratio (number of students for each teacher): 2nd
-Total spent on education per capita: 10th
-Number of classes with 4 or more students with special needs: 12, 240
-Number of classes with more than 30 students: 3, 627
-Loss of learning specialist teacher in last decade: 1459
-Time available for lesson planning, preparation and marking: 90 minutes per week
-Percentage of Teachers Teaching on Call earning $10,000 or less: 36%
-Percentage of Teachers Teaching on Call earning $30,000 or less: 78%

For details on salary comparisons, see: http://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/BargainingContracts/U102-SalaryDocument.pdf
For funding data: http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Publications/Briefs/2011EdFundingBrief.pdf#p8
BCTF Teacher Teaching on Call Survey: http://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/TTOC/2008survey.pdf
Child poverty report card: http://www.firstcallbc.org/pdfs/economicequality/3-reportcard2011.pdf
BC Stats report on income inequality: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/releases/info2012/in1204.pdf

[Via Staff Room Confidential Blog]

Abbott claims it is "discrimination" to limit class size and composition?

It upsets me to hear our Minister of Education, George Abbott saying that limiting the number of special needs students in a class is "discriminatory"

What is discriminatory is jam-packing so many students into a class that they can't get the extra attention they need to learn.

Special needs or not, EVERY student deserves positive learning conditions, and that means positive working conditions for teachers.

Calling Class Size & Composition requests "discriminatory" is absurd! The government illegally stripped BC teacher's right to negotiate class size and composition leading to over crowded classes and inadequate support for special needs students across the Province!

Students identified may need extra time, extra attnetion, or have specific needs in which they are entitled to just like every other student.

Additionally, there are often a number of students who are not "identified" as special needs who require extra attention, extra help, certain methods or strategies to help them learn.

Limiting the number of special needs in a classroom allows those students to have access to resources and to participate fully in the class. Without limits teachers can not adequately meet the needs of every student.

As it stands, SEAs often have multiple students and with more special needs in a class, it makes the SEAs workload heavier and can become a safety issue without adequate support.

Minister Abbott needs to spend more time "IN CLASSROOMS" and not just brief public appearences "at schools" to truly understand the system ESPECIALLY before making such absurd comments about education and "discrimination"

Negotiate Don't Legislate

Great t-shirts worn proudly by teacher's across BC