BCTF News

Table of Contents

1. BCTF presents a new package in bargaining 
2. BC has lowest level of education funding 
3. The end of the BC College of Teachers 
4. Bargaining rights and the BC Education Plan 

BCTF presents a new package in bargaining

The package is a reduced set of demands tabled in the hope that BCPSEA and government would reconsider their net-zero mandate and engage in productive bargaining toward a fair deal.

In the revised package:

 

A three-year term 

Salary 

• 3% cost of living increase in each year and a 3% market adjustment in years 1 and 2 (objective is to reduce the gap between BC teachers and most others across Canada)
• an eight-step grid, keeping the current starting and maximum salaries, and evening out the steps (previous proposal was six steps)
• TTOCs paid on scale for each day worked (withdrew TTOC stipend, minimum guaranteed wage of $22,000)

Benefits 

• pay-direct drug plan (BlueNet card)
• $600 every two years for glasses
• employer pays 100% of premium for MSP, 90% for Dental, EHB, group insurance (previous proposal was 100% of all
• premiums paid by employer)

Preparation Time 

• 150 minutes' prep time for elementary teachers (previous proposal: 25% prep)
• 15% prep time for secondary (previous proposal: 25% prep)
• secondary teachers' instructional time is limited to six blocks out of eight

Leaves 

• five days of paid bereavement leave (initially ten days)
• one paid and three unpaid discretionary days (initially eight paid days)
• 100% pay for first two weeks of pregnancy, 75% top-up for the remaining 15 weeks (previous proposal: 100% top-up for 17 weeks)
• 100% pay for first two weeks of parental leave, top-up to 75% for the remaining 35 weeks (previous proposal: 100% top up for 37 weeks)

In all cases, superior local provisions will be maintained.

In addition, we withdrew these significant proposals:

• the early retirement incentive plan, which was flatly rejected by BCPSEA despite our calculations that over 10 years there would be $140 million in savings
• 10 days' paid leave for professional activities
• paid leave for compassionate care.

For the full package of proposals go to bctf.ca/myBCTF/content.aspx?id=23112 

BC has lowest level of education funding

A meagre increase of $3 million in 2012-13 has BC committing the lowest level of education funding out of all the provinces. The most recent Statistics Canada report shows that while funding for elementary and secondary public schools increased across Canada between 2005-06 and 2009-10, BC ranked at, or near, bottom in terms of the percentage increase in education expenditures, in all key areas. See the Did You Know, #4 for a detailed ranking of the provinces.

Other provinces have faced similar conditions regarding the economy, enrolment, and poverty but have chosen to improve funding support for public education at a greater rate than BC, and have increased, rather than reduced, the number of

educators in the school system. A $3 million or 0.06% increase in a year when inflation is running close to 3% means more cuts to public education next year.

All provinces in Canada are dealing with the effects of a global economic crisis, yet only the BC government has imposed a freeze on teacher salaries. Teachers in Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan recently received fair and reasonable salary increases, while BC teacher salaries fall further and further behind.

Members can read the full report prepared by BCTF Research at: bctf.ca/publications.aspx?id=5630 

The end of the BC College of Teachers

The former BC College of Teachers existed from January 1, 1988 to January 6, 2012. Replacing it is a new arm of the Ministry of Education known as the Teacher Regulation Branch. Many changes in structure and operation are in the Teachers' Act, which established the Teacher Regulation Branch, and have been the subject of articles and commentary in the Nov./Dec. issues of Teacher and BCTF News. The new Teachers' Council will work with a very limited mandate and any vestige of self-regulation has gone. New regulations are being written without any consultation with teachers.

During the time leading up to the Teachers' Act there was much talk from government about changing the discipline process as a result of the Avison report on the college. Although these are early days, it is clear that these changes will bring increased powers of investigation, few procedural protections for teachers, no appeal process other than judicial review, open hearing panels, and public reporting of discipline.

There is now only one category of membership-practising; this has had a negative impact on both retired teachers and those on LTD. The fee for 2012-13 will be $80 taken by automatic deduction from all employees' wages in May.

Bargaining rights and the BC Education Plan

There are a number of items in the employment environment that have been linked and manipulated in this round of bargaining. There's the refusal to reinstate the learning/working conditions language stripped by Bills 27 and 28. There's the creation of a discipline-focused Teacher Regulation Branch, and now the vague, but ominous, BC Education Plan.

The government has made it very clear that key contract concessions are required for the implementation of the BC Education Plan: eliminate post and fill, transfer, evaluation, dismissal, professional development, and hours-of-work provisions. A government representative at the bargaining table, Claire Avison, in response to hearing how the BCTF has been excluded from discussions on the future of education change in this province, stated "Government policy is not negotiable." The government wants to discuss how the policy is implemented using language such as alignment, suitability, and the collective agreement as an impediment.

Given that we have one of the very best public education systems in the world here in BC, and that excellence is due to the teachers, it is alarming to see teachers being characterized as the impediments to the plan.

There is nothing in the plan that is in any way hindered by the existence of any provisions in teacher collective agreements. Government is simply using the plan as a ploy to eliminate long-standing and fundamental union contract principles.