B.C. teachers have promised to vote on ending their strike if the government agrees to binding arbitration. But as of today, Monday, there is little hope classes in School District 43 will resume anytime soon and some students are worried about what that means for the 2014/15 school year.
Taly Baybik hasn't been able to start Grade 10 at Pinetree secondary because of the ongoing labour dispute and she's worried about how to make up the year that includes three provincial exams.
Fassbender on making up the school year
"We feel very nervous because listening to the news, listing to the rumors and speculation, it feels like school won't open for awhile, and not just for a week, but for a long time," Baybik told The News Monday.
The Coquitlam student is a founder of the Tri-Cities Leadnow Youth Connection which held a rally at Spirit Square on Saturday, attracting more than 200 people, including 16 speakers, several performers, teachers, parents and teens.
Baybik said she and her co-presenters, most of them high school students like herself, shelled out $700 to pay for the venue and technicians but said it was worth it to raise awareness about the the issue.
"I think we got more recognition for the organization, for the issue, and the event got a lot of coverage," she said.
But now that it's over, Baybik said she and her peers are at loose ends because they can't go back to school and SD43 online courses aren't available to them either.
TEACHERS' VOTE PLANNED
This week SD43 confirmed as much when it sent out a letter to parents stating that the government has declined binding arbitration and that all parties "have suspended bargaining as they each seek to regroup and define further proposals for a resolution."
On Monday, BC Teachers' Federation president Jim Iker reiterated his request to the province to seek binding arbitration on salary and benefit proposals, with the proviso that the BC Public Schools Employers' Association removes its E80 clause and allows a Court of Appeal hearing on class size and composition to take its course.
He said if the province agrees to binding arbitration, teachers would vote Wednesday on whether to suspend their strike and he said the BCTF leadership would recommend a yes vote.
However, the government has already said no to binding arbitration. In a press release released Saturday it stated that the BCTF is insisting on several preconditions that would "effectively tilt the entire process in the BCTF favour."
Meanwhile, thousands of parents are taking advantage of the province's Temporary Education Support for Parents plan to pay $40 per day for each child aged 12 and under for every day the strike lasts. As of today, Monday, 74% of eligible B.C. public school students had been registered for the payments - for a total of 225,520 students.
SCHOOL SPORTS GO AHEAD
It's not only football that will go ahead this fall despite the ongoing labour dispute. The organization representing high school sports - BC School Sports (BCSS) - said it will proceed with the planned fall zone and championship schedule for volleyball, boys soccer, field hockey, aquatics and cross country, as well as football, which got underway Friday with a game between the Centennial Centaurs and the New Westminster Hyacks at Percy Perry Stadium in Town Centre Park in Coquitlam.
In a press release issued Monday, BCSS stated that it respects the position of teachers during the current labour dispute with the government.
However, sports can continue as long as there are volunteers willing to support the team, and teams get permission from the school and school district to participate in competition.
More information is available at www.bcschooolsports.ca
