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Province, union want mediation in teachers' job dispute

Mediation in the teachers’ strike is likely to begin today after a Wednesday meeting that brought both sides to Education Minister Peter Fassbender’s office.
Fassbender and Iker
BCTF president Jim Iker, left, and Education Minister Peter Fassbender

Mediation in the teachers’ strike is likely to begin today after a Wednesday meeting that brought both sides to Education Minister Peter Fassbender’s office.

And Fassbender would like that mediation to be accompanied by the suspension of strike and lockout activity, paving the way for classes to start as scheduled on Tuesday.

“We are just asking them to voluntarily stand down and let classes start while the parties are in mediation.”

The suspension would be for a two-week period, Fassbender said.

“To parents, to students, to teachers, there is nothing revolutionary in my proposal,” Fassbender said. “But what I did do is put those elements together to move us to the place where we are closer at the table so mediation is warranted.”

NDP education critic Rob Fleming also called for suspending the strike and lockout during mediation.

Fassbender said he called the meeting with B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker and Peter Cameron, chief negotiator for the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, “because we all want to solve this strike.”

“To make that happen, both sides need to focus on the issues that can be mediated and settled immediately, and set aside some matters that will be dealt with by the courts.”

He was referring to such grievance issues as class size and composition, arising from provisions being stripped from teachers’ 2002 contract. The courts have twice ruled in the teachers’ favour, most recently in a January decision by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Susan Griffin.

“I’m not asking the BCTF to do anything prejudicial to their court case,” Fassbender said. “But setting this issue aside as the appeals process takes place gives mediation a chance to succeed.”

Iker said he wants to see mediation start as soon as today. Teachers have been on a full-scale strike since June 17. “We want to see our teachers back [to] work by Sept. 2, we want our students back to work by Sept. 2,” he said. “We need a negotiated deal and we believe the only way that that can happen is through mediation with Vince Ready.”

In a tweet Wednesday evening, the BCTF said Ready would meet with Iker and Cameron today. Ready, a veteran mediator, began talking with both sides in mid-August.

“We’ve got more room to compromise, but that will be done at a bargaining table with Vince Ready,” Iker said. “And what we need is government to indicate where they can move with Vince Ready.”

Iker said no agreement came out of the meeting. “We think we should be spending the next four days getting this deal done.”

Fassbender said having the school year start on time is what matters.

“That is the goal, has been the goal and needs to continue to be the goal.”

He said he expects Ready to look at the substance of the meeting and decide on mediation.

“As soon as Mr. Ready indicates mediation should commence, we are ready,” Fassbender said. “In fact, we are ready now.”

He reiterated his reluctance to end the dispute with legislation.

jwbell@timescolonist.com