The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), established in 1917, is the union of professionals representing 41,000 public school teachers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. All public school teachers belong to the BCTF and their local teachers' association.
According to reports from school districts to local teacher associations throughout B.C., more than 150 full-time teaching positions will be lost next September.
B.C. teachers reacted with incredulity to a report that the Ministry of Education intends to pay some teachers more than others, depending on their class sizes.
Teachers have been involved in job action since September. This means we are doing what we love -- teaching. But we are making no progress at the bargaining table.
Next Monday, March 5, teachers across British Columbia will begin a legal three-day full-scale withdrawal of services, as permitted under the Labour Relations Board interim essential services order.
BC spent a higher percent of gross domestic product on public education than Canada as a whole in 2002–03. Since then, BC has fallen behind the rest of Canada.
A negotiated settlement in bargaining, not legislation restoration of rights as determined by the BC Supreme Court, reducing the number of students living in poverty through a poverty reduction plan.
It took a decade, but a decision finally said that the BC Liberal government acted illegally when it took away the right for teachers to bargain important learning and working conditions.
In a landmark decision by the British Columbia Supreme Court the court declared the legislation that stripped teacher collective bargaining rights in 2002 unconstitutional and invalid.
Today schools around B.C. celebrate the Day of Pink, a day to highlight student action to resist homophobia and defend classmates who are being bullied for their real or perceived sexual orientation.