Teachers vote to reopen schools.
British Columbia teachers voted to accept a mediator’s report and to returnto classes on Monday, October 24. Teachers cast their ballots in generalmeetings held around the province on Saturday and Sunday, with 78% supportfor a BC Teachers’ Federation executive committee recommendation to accept.
The mediator recommended increases that equalize salaries among schooldistricts, as well as some funding and processes to address the concerns ofteachers about large classes and resources for the inclusion of studentswith special needs. Although teachers were disappointed at not gainingfirm limits, the executive felt that teacher and public pressure will makethe government carry out its promises to make improvements in these areas.
The strike had been declared illegal on its first day, but teachers felt sostrongly that they continued on picket lines for ten school days, evenafter the courts had prohibited the union from paying strike pay. On thelast day of the strike, the courts imposed a $500,000 fine on the BCTF fornot following a court order to end the strike. The BCTF will willingly paythe fine, which will go to support a charitable organization still to bespecified.
The event that initiated the strike was the government imposing a contractby legislation, with no negotiations. The legislation provided noimprovements in salaries or teaching and learning conditions. Thegovernment had also previously adopted legislation that limited the rightto strike for teachers by declaring teaching as an “essentialservice.” The International Labour Organization had said that therestriction on striking and imposing contracts by legislation was againstthe ILO conventions, treaties that had been agreed to by Canada.
Although the union did not regain its bargaining rights in law, itdemonstrated that bargaining rights are really won by action, even if itthe law places limits on those rights. Strikes can be made illegal, butthey cannot be stopped if people feel their cause is just and the law isunfair.
Key to the success was the unity of teachers, despite pressure from thecourts and government. Teachers were able to sustain the strike because ofsupport from the labour movement and the public.
Support staff from the schools, most of whom belong to the Canadian Unionof Public Employees, walked the picket lines with teachers. Many studentsand parent joined with teachers and delivered coffee and food to thelines. The BC Federation of Labour called support strikes, shutting downmany businesses and public services in two areas of the province. CUPEshut down public services for a day in other areas. When the courtsprohibited strike pay, the post-secondary faculty unions bought $200,000 ingrocery vouchers for teachers and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation set upa hardship fund.
Polls throughout the strike showed that around 60% of the public supportedteachers and less than 30% supported the government.
Although many teachers were disappointed that more specific gains were notmade in returning teaching and learning conditions to the contract, thestrike did put issues about adequate support for public education on thepolitical agenda. In the long term, teachers taking a stand, regardless oflegal consequences, built a level of public understanding of the issuesthat should produce gains for public education in the long term.