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ULTIMAS NOTICIAS
Update of BC teachers' strike
October 18, 2005
We have some good news. We can still communicate using our fax, email and web site. The Minister of Labour claimed last week that the courts prohibited the BCTF from using its email and fax. However, when the court was asked for clarification, the judge did not place any limits on our use of those means of communication. Today the employer went back to court to ask the judge to stop the BCTF from using its communications systems and to impose a large fine on the BCTF. The judge this time postponed her decision until this coming Friday. So we are still at liberty to talk to our members and the public using our union communication systems.
The government has also tried to increase pressure on teachers by appointing a special prosecutor to consider raising the contempt of court charge to criminal contempt. The difference is that if teachers continue the strike, the BCTF can be charged with civil contempt, with the penalty being a fine. If the charge is criminal contempt, then the leaders and other teachers could be put in jail. However, the people who work as prosecutors of criminal cases have announced that none of them will prosecute a case against the teachers. Several months ago, after the prosecutors won a healthy salary increase through arbitration, this government overruled the arbitration and imposed by legislation a contract with no pay increase for three years. The prosecutors understand from experience the need for bargaining rights.
Yesterday about 20,000 people gathered at the Legislature building in Victoria to protest on behalf of teachers. Many of the protestors were teachers, some of whom had travelled for most of the night on a bus to get there. Many of the services in Victoria were shut down as workers from the post office, municipal offices, public transit and the university went out on a day of protest to support the teachers. For every day this week, protests will shut down services and industries in a different area of the province in support of the collective bargaining rights of teachers and ultimately all workers.
Messages of support from the Mexican Section of the Tri-national Coalition in Defence of Public Education and from the South African Democratic Teachers' Union were read at the demonstration to great applause. Presidents of other teacher unions in Canada and public and private sector unions in B.C. also were represented at the demonstration.
The incredible support is not just coming from other union members. A poll over the weekend found that 57% of the public supported teachers and the BCTF, while only 34% supported the employer and the provincial government. It is highly unusual to have such high support for a strike in the public sector, especially when it has been called illegal by the government. However, the public now understands that some basic rights are at stake, as well as the future of public education.
Support has been seen on picket lines around the province as parents and others concerned about public education have shown up to join the picketing or to bring coffee and donuts, and sometimes healthier things to eat. Students have often joined picket lines with their teachers and some have organized demonstrations of support. Student teachers in education faculties are holding a teach-in at one university, in addition to joining the picket lines.
The BCTF web site today reports that "Vince Ready is acting as a facilitator to promote dialogue between the parties." Ready is an experienced mediator and was previously appointed to try to develop a more effective bargaining system for teachers. This is the first sign of the kind of discussions that must go on to resolve the situation.
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