Sooke students and parents are preparing to see picket lines instead of classrooms on Monday, the first day of rotating strikes taking place across the province as a dispute between teachers and the B.C. government heats up.
The rotating strikes will occur in groupings of school districts over four days, starting with the Sooke district on Monday, the Saanich district Tuesday, the Greater Victoria district Wednesday and the Gulf Islands district Thursday. The strikes will close every school in the province for one day.
500,000-PLUS B.C. STUDENTS MAY MISS A DAY OF CLASS
On Monday, teachers will be picketing outside all schools in Sooke, the facilities building and the bus yard, said Ian Johnson, president of the Sooke teachers association.
“We are not doing this willingly. Nobody wants to be going out on strike,” Johnson said.
“We have been pressed to do this because of the lack of progress we’re experiencing at the bargaining table.”
Contract talks between teachers and their employers’ group were called off Friday, with both sides far apart on many issues.
B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, which represents the government in bargaining, announced a partial lockout beginning Monday. Terms of the lockout direct teachers not to work during recess and lunch hour, and not to be at school more than 45 minutes before and after classes.
Peter Cameron, the employers’ association lead negotiator, said the association was hoping to avoid a situation that would keep students out of classrooms. “We’ve sought to avoid any interference with instruction time or anything that has an impact on students.”
More contract talks are scheduled for Monday to Wednesday, Cameron said.
