Friday,
teachers across BC are wearing black to mark the 10th anniversary of the passage
of Bills 27 and 28 which ripped up teachers’ collective agreements and
eliminated provisions protecting class size, class composition, and services to
students with special needs.
“Over a single weekend in January
2002, the BC Liberals wiped out decades of advocacy and sacrifice by teachers
and launched a decade of cutbacks, school closures, and untold damage to
teaching and learning conditions,” said BCTF President Susan Lambert. “In
declaring today a ‘Dark Day for Public Education in BC’ teachers are sending a
message to government that it’s time to respect bargaining rights and come to
the table to reach a fair and reasonable agreement with teachers.”
The
2002 legislation enabled the BC Liberals to cut $336 million annually from
public education and so severely curtailed free collective bargaining rights
that it could not sustain a challenge under the Charter of Rights. In April 2011, the BC Supreme Court found the
bills to be unconstitutional and invalid.
On
Saturday, teachers in the Lower Mainland will take action to commemorate the
massive rallies that took place the day after the passage of Bills 27 and 28.
Between
12:15 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. Saturday, January 28, 2012, look for teachers
demonstrating and waving signs on the following bridges:
- Cambie
Bridge
- Dinsmore
Bridge
- Moray
(Airport connector) Bridge
- No.
2 Road Bridge
- Oak Street Bridge