Teacher bargaining

[flamingfingers]

This is totally outrageous!! Is this applicable to ALL School Boards in BC - or just 'select' ones??

Provincial government tells SD71 to return all strike savings
Michael Briones/Echo Staff / Comox Valley Echo
September 25, 2014 10:00 AM

The provincial government is reclaiming from School District 71 money it has saved during the teachers' strike.

The government had allowed the school district to retain 20 per cent of the strike savings for May and June, which amounted to $480,000, which was used to cover expenses like hydro bills and other central services.

But for the month of September, the Liberal government changed the rule. The Ministry of Education informed SD71 secretary treasurer Russell Horswill, it wants all the money paid during the strike returned. Horswill said they are now negotiating with the ministry as to how much of the money the district should retain to pay for fixed costs.

The latest development has upset the local school board. Chair of the district's finance committee Rick Grinham questioned why the government has taken this position. He guessed that perhaps the government needs the money to cover the $40 a day it offered parents and primary caregivers during the strike in September.

Grinham said the government, by wanting all the savings returned, did not consider the district's expenses.

"It's on our backs," said Grinham. "So consequently, I just want the public to understand that there have been certain costs that we have not been able to recoup and we have to find those in our budget and finances."

Funding the public school system is one of the issues raised by teachers during their job action. School board trustee Janice Caton said it is still a frustrating issue. She added that public education must be fully funded and sustainable.

As she will be meeting with the deputy minister in October, Caton put forward a motion requesting the board write a letter to the Minister of Education regarding this issue.

Caton is pleased the contract dispute between the teachers and the government is settled; however, she feels the issue of funding remains to be a major concern.

The board approved Caton's motion and will add this letter to another correspondence it wanted to send the minister regarding the prolonged bargaining and the withdrawal of services that has greatly impacted the district's schools, employees, students, parents and to public confidence in the system.

Board chair Peter Coleman's letter asked for reconsideration of the government's position to exclude school boards from the negotiating table. They believe the actual employers of teachers, the school boards, must be fully engaged in the negotiations.

The letter stated the recent errors by the BC Public School Employers Association in allowing teachers back into schools before the boards had ratified the agreement and failing to acknowledge the BC School Trustees Association's contribution to the negotiations are simply "unacceptable" and that the status quo cannot continue.

As well, the local boards want to see new legislation on the bargaining process to prevent recent events from happening again. They support the BC Teachers' Federation's proposal for binding arbitration as a means to prevent strikes and consequent disruption to the school system.

- See more at: http://www.comoxvalleyecho.com/news/loc ... 1YTfY.dpuf

[Urbane]

^^ District 71's board is a lot like the Vancouver School Board. They're more interested in politics, i.e. leftwing politics, rather than finding common ground.

[rustled]

This is totally outrageous!! Is this applicable to ALL School Boards in BC - or just 'select' ones??
...

I always find it interesting what outrages some posters, and what doesn't. What they emphasize, and what they ignore. For example, here's what I find most glaring:

The letter stated the recent errors by the BC Public School Employers Association in allowing teachers back into schools before the boards had ratified the agreement and failing to acknowledge the BC School Trustees Association's contribution to the negotiations are simply "unacceptable" and that the status quo cannot continue.

As well, the local boards want to see new legislation on the bargaining process to prevent recent events from happening again. They support the BC Teachers' Federation's proposal for binding arbitration as a means to prevent strikes and consequent disruption to the school system.

This lack of respect wasn't initiated by the current government. It goes back to 1998. Instead of perpetuating this disrespect for locally elected boards, I'd like to see the current government do something about it.

Binding arbitration wouldn't be the solution I'd recommend.

[KGT]

This is totally outrageous!! Is this applicable to ALL School Boards in BC - or just 'select' ones??
|

I think it's going to all boards. SD23 got the letter this week too.

[Tori_K]

CBC Kelowna this morning gave me the impression that it's 100% of cost savings, and the district was allowed to keep funds for expenses, losses due to rental revenue while schools were closed, costs related to adjustments to accomodate international students, etc.

[maryjane48]

im not surprised one bit , it was never about the kids for christy , it was the money all along .

[hobbyguy]

It was also never "all about the kids" for the BCTF brass.

[LoneWolf_53]

im not surprised one bit , it was never about the kids for christy , it was the money all along .

LOL.

Same for Mr. Iker!!!!

Also more accurately stated the above line should have read, "it was never about the kids for Christy, it was about OUR money all along."

[omisimaw]

im not surprised one bit , it was never about the kids for christy , it was the money all along .

For Christy?
for the first thing, she was not a part of the negotiation team for the employer

and the ones who def were not out for the kids are all the BCTF fear mongers and members.

[Urbane]

KGT made mention of teachers in SD23 not being paid for the Friday as well, I think, so perhaps she has some comments to make on this article:

Coquitlam teachers fighting over pay

By Marlisse Silver Sweeney Global News

VANCOUVER — Lori Leonard thought the protests were behind her, but the Coquitlam teacher is dusting off her picket sign once again.

Leonard is one of hundreds of Coquitlam teachers who say they were not paid correctly in September. Instead of being paid for eight days, her school district paid her for seven, which teachers say is in violation of the newly ratified agreement that put them back into the classroom.


“Nobody wants to be here, but when there’s an injustice it needs to be righted,” Leonard told Global News. “Part of that ratification deal was that we would be paid for that Friday,” she says, explaining teachers were back at the schools prepping, cleaning classrooms and getting things in shape.

Most teachers across the province were paid for that day, but not those in the Coquitlam School District, according to Leonard.

“We’re feeling like we’ve been duped and we’re feeling very angry,” says Charley King with the Coquitlam Teachers’ Association.

The BC Ministry of Education says, “if teachers feel their district is not following the terms of their local agreements, they have well-established grievance procedures to resolve the matter.”

The Coquitlam District would not agree to an interview, but Global News was told the issue is due to a complex payment system which varies from district to district.

Teachers are planning a rally on Tuesday on the issue.

“I really hope the district will listen,” says Leonard.

–With files from Jeremy Hunka.

[KGT]

Urbane, I am deeply disappointed by our district's decision to take the hard line on this. At last count, there were only 10 districts (of 60) who did not pay teachers for Friday, Sept. 19, using their interpretation of contract language to avoid the payment in this unusual situation. Not all districts have the same language problem but several that do, still chose to pay the extra day. A few others have grieved and won the day's pay.

When we returned to work on Sept. 19, Superintendent Hugh Gloster talked of the importance of mending fences and rebuilding the district/teacher relationship and yet this is the way they choose to do that.

Retired Principal, Jim Nelson, wrote the following blogpost in regards to Coquitlam teachers.

http://jimnelson806.com/2014/10/03/bad- ... strict-43/

Bad Optics in School District #43

Posted on October 3, 2014 by jimnelson806

Along with their colleagues, Coquitlam teachers went on strike for five weeks to make a stand for public education. It cost them each $8000 or so.

School administrators, muzzled for the duration of the strike by district staff, continued to collect their pay. School trustees, superintendents, district staff, and CUPE all collected their pay. Education Ministers got paid as did Premiers. Heck, even parents are getting $40 per day per strike day, per child.

Everyone got paid- except teachers, and the first day they go back to work, Coquitlam stiffs them a day’s pay.

What? Coquitlam? Arguably the most progressive school district in B.C.? You sure you don’t mean Abbottsford, or Chilliwack… or Langley?

No I don’t (although Abbotsford also didn’t pay their teachers – surprise)

Yes, Coquitlam school district didn’t pay its teachers for Friday, September 19th– at least that’s the way it looks to teachers.

The first day after the strike, was the “prep” Friday. Teachers would come into school, prepare classrooms, get class lists, make course changes, and generally wind up June’s untidy finish and get ready for a Monday start. Fair enough says everyone.

But with a bad taste still in their mouths from a long, acrimonious strike, most teachers were in no mood to “volunteer” a day to prepare, even if it meant a messy start on Monday. Many teachers would not have worked Friday had they known they would not get paid.

So they asked if they would be paid for Friday.

“Oh yes, the strike and lockout are over as of Thursday and all teachers will be paid beginning on Friday, Sept. 19th .”

So said the B.C.T.F., B.C.P.S.E.A., and even the government.

But at the end of the month, Coquitlam Teachers, having worked 8 days in September, including Friday September 19th , got paid for 7 days.

Coquitlam teachers were understandably furious, and several of them got a bit insistent at the school board meeting this week, where the unfortunate situation was explained to them.

The explanation goes as follows:

Coquitlam teachers contractually get paid for twenty days each month, because some months have more school days, some fewer. Because it averages out to about 20 days per month, for simplicity’s sake, and by mutual agreement, that’s what teachers get paid each month.

So because teachers were on strike for 13 days in September, they get paid for 7 days rather than the 8 they worked.

The explanation would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic.A school board with a $13 million dollar credibility problem isn’t capable of heading this off at the pass or even fixing it before it hit the fan?

A superintendent of schools can’t phone the union president and have him in to discuss the situation and perhaps agree on how to ameliorate or postpone the pain?

“Bit of a sticky wicket here Charlie, might you drop by the board office for a moment to hash it over?”

It could have been avoided so easily. A postponement, an incremental levy of some kind, or even an up front agreement to take the one day hit in September; anything but to just let it baldly appear on the first pay statement without explanation.

Coquitlam has a new Secretary Treasurer who has to prove he’s not like the last guy, upon whom has been dumped the blame for the district’s 13 million dollar deficit. I suppose that’s why he didn’t do what any secretary treasurer should do, suggest options to avoid such fiscal catastrophes.

But it’s not just his fault. Did no one realize how awful the optics of this would be; how cruel and disrespectful a statement it made to Coquitlam’s teachers?

Did anyone consider that this might not be the best way to welcome teachers back to their classrooms?

5 weeks of a grueling strike, convinced most teachers that the provincial government is unrelentingly anti teacher, but most teachers felt secure in the knowledge that the school district was generally supportive and appreciative of their contributions to education in Coquitlam.

So much for that idea.

If you’re not a teacher, it’s hard to comprehend how astoundingly insensitive this move was. It’s an et tu Brute, the unkindest cut of all, and it will take a long time to overcome.

Coquitlam school district has always been rightly proud of the work relationships enjoyed among union groups, teachers, management and trustees over the years.

Coquitlam teachers will be mollified, it will all have been just an unfortunate misunderstanding.Trustees will assure everyone that they love Coquitlam teachers, central office will be diplomatically apologetic – all as comforting as an abusive spouse trying to make amends.

I’m not sure this genie can be put back in the bottle.

But apparently, as Peter Fassbender might cheerfully say,

“The beatings will continue until morale improves.”

[Urbane]

^^ Thanks KGT. It sounds as if the contract is being honoured in those districts that didn't pay teachers for the Friday but I can understand how that doesn't sit well with the teachers in those districts. If those districts had ignored the contract language and paid teachers for the Friday then some taxpayers would be upset with that decision as well. Hard to please everyone so adhering to the contract would seem to be the prudent course.

[KGT]

Why am I not surprised at your response? It seems some districts with the same language chose to pay teachers in the spirit of the Return to Work agreement. Haven't heard taxpayers complain in those districts.

[Urbane]

Why am I not surprised at your response? It seems some districts with the same language chose to pay teachers in the spirit of the Return to Work agreement. Haven't heard taxpayers complain in those districts.

If SD 23 or any other district isn't adhering to the contract teachers have the grievance option so I'm not sure what the problem is.

[Osoyoos_Familyof4]

School District 53 did not pay their teachers for that Friday either. That day was spent doing prep, they had a meeting with administration. My husband met with a concerned parent. And then he worked 1/2 of Saturday too in addition to that. He didn't expect payment for Saturday (even though every teacher anywhere knows it takes about a week to properly get your classroom in order). But he was surprised and disappointed he didn't even get paid for that Friday.

Sucker Punch...And pretty stinky bad-form.

And I have heard of so many people criticizing teachers for not being prepared before hand. And I will say this:

My husband had a job up until Labour Day (minimum wage job)

He had his work laptop taken away in the first few weeks of the strike with all his lessons and educational software on it so even if he wanted to he couldn't have done it.

And the physical classroom wasn't available to him until that Friday.

And this is a really big one so many people misunderstand: It's not always a certain what grade you might teach that year. These kind of decisions are often worked out the week ahead which didn't happen this year.