New Deal For Teachers

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM  Wednesday, 27 June 2012 09:06
  Premier Christy Clark is cheering what she calls the unlikely tentative contract with British Columbia's teachers. Clark says many people were preparing for mediated talks between the B.C. Teachers Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers Association to fail, but a deal was reached that averts job action for the next school year. Speaking in Kelowna, site a cabinet retreat, Clark said she is pleased government-appointed mediator Charles Jago helped the two sides reach an agreement that stays within the government's zero wage increase mandate. Education Minister George Abbott says the only option left to the government if mediation failed was legislating a teacher contract. Abbott compared the negotiations in the labour dispute to labour during the birthing process, saying it wasn't a babe that was easily born. Abbott says the contract -- which runs until next June -- honours the government's net-zero mandate, offers improved language to manage leave provisions and establishes a process for local-provincial bargaining. Voting on the deal continues until Friday -- the last day of the teacher's school year -- and results are expected by Friday evening. BCTF President Susan Lambert has scheduled a news conference for later today but she has suggested the union has been bullied into recommending a new two year contract. Lambert says the pact does not reduce class size or improve conditions for special needs students -- but she says the union would have faced harsh fines if the deal had not been reached.