Vince Ready declines request to mediate B.C. teachers dispute

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      According to several media reports, veteran labour mediator Vince Ready will not step into the negotiations between the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association.

      This likely means teachers will be off the job on Monday (June 23) to start the second week of their full-scale strike.

      The B.C. government and the teachers' union both asked him if he would be willing to serve as a mediator in the dispute.

      Ready is reportedly too busy to do that right now.

      Both sides are still quite far apart in their negotiations.

      The union is seeking an eight percent raise and a signing bonus and a five-year contract.

      In addition, the BCTF wants a $225-million annual workload fund to address staffing ratios, class composition, and class size pending the outcome of the B.C. government's appeal of a B.C. Supreme Court ruling in the teachers' favour.

      The union has also asked for a $225-million "retroactive grievances fund", which is in response to Justice Susan Griffin's court decision that found the B.C. government had violated teachers' constitutional rights by shredding a contract in 2002.

      The employer has offered a $1,200 signing bonus if a deal is reached by June 30, as well as a seven percent hike over six years. 

      Comments

      15 Comments

      peter G

      Jun 22, 2014 at 9:34pm

      Vince Ready is a very smart man!!....until the demands of the BCTF become somewhat resonable there is nothing to mediate!

      Xtina

      Jun 22, 2014 at 11:10pm

      No peter G, Vince Ready is currently occupied. Sheesh, trolls.

      skippy

      Jun 22, 2014 at 11:20pm

      BCTF has dug themselves into a very deep hole and Ready did not want to get near them. Moreover, what fool (ie BCTF leaders) would make such a spectacle of getting Ready involved knowing full well that he was booked solidly pretty through to the end of the year. Grossly incompetent union leadership.

      Alan Layton

      Jun 23, 2014 at 7:45am

      Xtina - according to Global TV's Legislative correspondent Keith Baldrey, Ready would most likely not want to get involved until the two sides are much closer in demands, since success would be unlikely. He called it a few days ago and said nobody was surprised, especially anyone who knows Ready (as he does). Baldrey has remained neutral throughout the negotiations so I have some confidence in his opinion, unlike the biased hackery that takes place in this rag.

      RU Kiddingme

      Jun 23, 2014 at 9:32am

      The strike will continue until the teachers have lost so much that the strike-ending wage hike will actually be revenue-neutral. Then the respective negotiators can crow to their membership that they won.

      Tedcamp

      Jun 23, 2014 at 11:26am

      Several weeks ago I predicted, and I will repeat it. The parties are so far apart and so entrenched only time will force them together. I say the Prov. will risk the one-time-only political hit and leave the schools closed 'til late October then put their original offer on the table with a signing date of Nov. 1st. A lot of people, including many teachers, are fed up with the way the BCTF have handled things for almost 1/2 century. If you think people are upset because their children missed a month of school just wait 'til the monsoon season hits. You haven't seen an angry mob 'til you've seen upset Moms.

      Martin Dunphy

      Jun 23, 2014 at 12:09pm

      Alan Layton:

      With respect, if you think Keith Baldrey is an unbiased observer of anything, you need to replace both your hearing aid <em>and</em> your glasses.
      And if this site disappoints you so much, well... You know.

      Claudia Ferris

      Jun 23, 2014 at 2:41pm

      School's out for summer....
      Wonder how many of our grades 10 - 12 students got I's they are now not going to be able to make up? Seems incredible to think the gov't is going to drag this strike on and lose all that revenue from summer school and international students.

      Mr Perfect

      Jun 23, 2014 at 3:30pm

      @ Claudia Ferris:

      Nobody forced the teachers to go on strike. This is all on the BCTF.

      Ex-Haney guy

      Jun 23, 2014 at 5:30pm

      It's not the fucking money-yeah who wouldn't want a raise after 2012 or even 2002-but it's the classroom composition. Ask any one who worked the trades then decided to work with kids, you know, as a teacher-how fucking easy it is. Then add extra responsibilities and less authority, add inclusive class rooms and well, what an easy fucking job. Way overpaid; absolutly stupid-'cause they only listen to their union (sort of like the trades too-real "left-wingers"),and presto! Anyone could do this very unimportant job. Wimmpy guys looking after kids all day, eh; what a fucking gravy train. Yep-just attend to the Main-Stream Media; they'll tell ya. Yep.