B.C. teachers, who’ve been on the picket line since June, and the provincial government have reached a tentative deal to end the ongoing strike that has kept classes closed since the school year started.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) first took to Twitter in the early morning hours of Tuesday (September 16) to announce a settlement had been reached.
Representatives from the BCTF and the Ministry of Education had been hunkered down the past few days in a Richmond hotel with mediator Vince Ready.
“I’m not at liberty to release any of the details nor are the parties. The parties are going to meet later this morning and finalize (a) few of the outstanding details,” Ready told reporters.
“Everybody’s a bit tired right now.”
Ready remained tightlipped, only saying the deal was made through a “process of negotiations” and “both parties worked very hard to get this agreement.”
B.C. teachers, who’ve been on the picket line since June, and the provincial government have reached a tentative deal to end the ongoing strike that has kept classes closed since the school year started.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) first took to Twitter in the early morning hours of Tuesday (September 16) to announce a settlement had been reached.
Representatives from the BCTF and the Ministry of Education had been hunkered down the past few days in a Richmond hotel with mediator Vince Ready.
“I’m not at liberty to release any of the details nor are the parties. The parties are going to meet later this morning and finalize (a) few of the outstanding details,” Ready told reporters.
“Everybody’s a bit tired right now.”
Ready remained tightlipped, only saying the deal was made through a “process of negotiations” and “both parties worked very hard to get this agreement.”
Later in the afternoon, Premier Christy Clark confirmed the negotiated settlement would last six years.
“This is really a remarkable achievement after 30 years of dysfunction,” she told reporters.
“We did find a way to give teachers a fair raise, we have improved investments in classroom composition — which was an absolute priority for me — (and) make sure that there is more teaching support in classrooms for kids.”
Clark said she wouldn’t provide many details on the deal before it was presented to BCTF members and trustees. But she said the tentative agreement would not result in raising taxes, cutting services or going into deficit.
If ratified, students could be back in the classroom as early as Monday (September 22).
Education Minister Peter Fassbender said his ministry has been holding discussions with superintendents and administrators since teachers went on strike to ensure students would not lose out on academic standing during the school year.
“The bottom line is we have guaranteed every student’s educational journey in this school year will be whole, and that’s especially true for Grade 11 and 12 students.”
@reporton
