Schools were quiet today Friday in School District 43 as teachers joined their B.C. colleagues in study sessions and took down their picket lines.
But there was some activity in front of the BC Liquor Store at Suter Brook as a group of parents rallied in support of educators.
Among the group was Jayne Wood, who brought books and coloured markers so she could keep her son, Lachlan, 2, occupied. Wood said she's concerned about the future of B.C.'s education system and wants to support teachers even though she doesn't have kids in school yet.
"I'm just concerned about the maintenance of that [public education] and our province," said Wood, who noted that her son attends the Strong Start program at Moody elementary but hasn't been able to since the strike started.
Nathania Vishnevsky, one of the rally organizers, said she and other parents have been rallying each day in front of MLA Linda Reimer's office in the hopes of raising awareness.
"We want to get the kids back in school," Vishnevsky said.
Meanwhile, BC Teachers' Federation President Jim Iker delivered an address, which was livestreamed on the internet, calling on the government to drop its class size and composition demands, a bargaining condition called E80, and seek binding arbitration.
"Teachers want to be in the classrooms teaching. I think parents and students will agree-and I hope government does as well. For this option to work, the BCTF is proposing to send matters of compensation, benefits, and preparation time to binding arbitration. We will also ask government to leave the matters currently before the court, and related to the court ruling, to the courts," he stated.
Earlier this week, the government negotiator, Peter Cameron, panned the idea of binding arbitration to settle the strike.
In a press conference today, Friday, Education Minister Peter Fassbender said he wanted the BCTF's binding arbitration proposal "in writing" before commenting on it. But in a wide-ranging interview with the media, Fassbendet also said he doesn't favour binding arbitration because it hands over important decisions to a third party.
"We want a negotiated settlement," Fassbender said.
