The Editor:
Re. "SD43 launching own back-to-class push" (The Tri-City News, Aug. 8).
Why would School District 43 trustees hire a consultant to duplicate the work their provincial organization is performing? The district pays dues to the BC School Trustees Association to perform such tasks on their behalf. There is no need to provide awareness to the public that there is a labour dispute between the provincial government and public school teachers.
Both local newspapers have done a fine job providing updated information. Do these trustees believe the provincial government or the teachers take direction from trustees?
The final deal will be negotiated at the bargaining table, which is taking place right now. If the trustees were going to run a campaign, it should be done by their own staff and probably earlier in the summer, before talks resumed.
Imagine running a campaign without knowing the costs or providing the costs to the taxpayers. Is there really a concern that big box stores are worried about selling school supplies?
At least Coquitlam council did its part weeks ago at no cost. I wonder how the advocacy campaign, started months ago to meet with the government, is going. There must be an election on the horizon.
Dave Ginter, president, CUPE Local 561
RUN ITS COURSE
The Editor,
The impasse between B.C.'s public school teachers and the provincial government will never truly be resolved unless and until it runs its full course. Either the government is brought down or the union folds - one way or the other. It's called a strike or lockout, take your pick, but it has to run its course.
A legislated settlement or binding arbitration didn't work before and won't now. The distrust, the name calling, the diseased schools and unhappiness would just continue and we'll be back at square one when the contract term runs out.
Neither side can apparently capitulate. It is do or die. Unfortunately, neither the BC Liberals nor the NDP apparently has the answer so it must be the teachers that do - but, wait, do we get to vote for them? Ah, so that won't work. They can't negotiate with themselves.
The unfortunate thing is that the bruised and bloody lying by the side of the road are called students and they don't even have a voice. Too bad. Maybe our first graders could teach both sides something about civility.
George Elgstrand,
Port Moody
