British Columbia Teachers' Federation

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**BCTF**

British Columbia Teachers Federation
Founded	July 12, 1919
Members	41,000 (2007)^[1]
Country	Canada
Affiliation	BCFL,CTF
Key people	Jinny Sims, president
Office location	Vancouver, Canada
Website	www.bctf.ca

Incorporated on July 12, 1919, the British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF) is a trade union that represents 38,000^[1] public school teachers in the province of British Columbia, Canada.

1 2005 contract dispute
2 2006 contract negotiations
3 History
4 Leadership
5 Affiliations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] 2005 contract dispute

Since 1992, contract negotiations for BC public school teachers has been on a province-wide basis, negotiating a single contract with the British Columbia Public School Employers' Association (BCPSEA). Since that time, each contract has been legislated into law by the government of the day because the teachers and employers have failed to reach an agreement.

During the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) government years, imposed contracts have favoured the teachers, while under the current BC Liberal government, imposed contracts have favoured the employer.

Negotiations have been ongoing between the teachers and the BCPSEA since the previous contract expired in June 2004 without resolution. Relations between the BCTF and the BC Liberal government have been acrimonious with the government’s policy of wage freezes and the BCTF’s negative advertising campaign during the May 2001 election. After winning, the BC Liberals made good on an election promise to make public education an essential service, limiting the level of job action the BCTF could take during a collective bargaining dispute.

Without a contract at the beginning of the new school year, negotiations soured and an agreement was unlikely. To pressure the BCPSEA and the government to capitulate on wage and classroom size demands, on September 27, 31,740 teachers voted 88.4%^[2] to begin job action by withdrawing supervisory and administrative duties. Without successful contract negotiation, more severe action would begin October 11.

With negotiations derailed and a strike imminent, the government introduced legislation on October 5 to extend the previous contract through the end of the current school year in June 2006, at which time the across the board wage freeze would be revisited. After a filibuster by the Official opposition BC NDP, Bill 12^[3] passed on October 7. Furthermore, the BCPSEA successfully applied to the British Columbia Labour Relations Board (BCLRB) to deem any strike action illegal.

The BCTF held an emergency vote to carry out the strike despite the BCLRB ruling, with 90.5%^[4] of the participating members voting in favour of proceeding with protest action.

The BCTF began its illegal strike on October 7, 2005. It maintains that breaking the law for a just cause (having its collective bargaining rights limited and a contract imposed) is acceptable. Critics of the BCTF claim the illegal job action sets a bad example for the very children they teach. The job action is illegal because teaching in British Columbia is considered an essential service, and teachers are not allowed to strike. The BCTF, however, maintains that under the provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the non-binding decisions of the United Nations International Labor Organization, education is not an essential service and they have the right to political protest.^[5]

Personally criticizing Premier Gordon Campbell for his drunk driving conviction in Hawaii, many cartoonists and commentators have noted that the government has no right to take the moral upper hand by criticizing teachers as carrying out illegal actions. In an interview on Vancouver's CKNW radio station, BCTF President Jinny Sims went so far as to compare the BCTF's actions to that of American civil rights activist Rosa Parks -- although Sims referred to her as "Nora Parks".

Following the strike action, the BCPSEA filed a complaint in the BC Supreme Court on October 6th to find the BCTF in contempt of court, and on October 9 Madame Justice Brenda Brown declared the BCTF in contempt, ordering teachers to return to work October 11.

On October 12, a small number of defiant teachers began crossing picket lines and returned to work.^[6]

As a result of the continuing defiance of her court order, Madame Justice Brenda Brown on October 13 ordered the BCTF to cease paying strike pay to its members or use its funds to prolong the strike.^[7]^[8] Regardless, the BCTF remained on the picket line.

On October 17, the BC Federation of Labour spearheaded a major labour shutdown of the province's capital, Victoria. Termed a "Day of Protest" rather than a general strike, the city saw the vast majority of its public services crippled by labour action. The event culminated in a massive protest at the Legislature, where it was estimated that up to 20,000 people rallied.

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Possible end to strike, fines for BC teachers

On the same day, Premier Gordon Campbell made his first public comments during the strike. He called on the BCTF to obey the law and said that the union has "made a complete mockery of the British Columbia Supreme Court." He reiterated his government's position that it will not negotiate with the BCTF while it is breaking the law.

Experienced mediator Vince Ready was brought in and presented proposals to end the strike. Both the government and the BCTF accepted his recommendations, and on October 24, the teachers went back to work.^[9]

[edit] 2006 contract negotiations

On June 9, 2006 the union announced that if a contract was not reached before the start of the school year, it was prepared to commence labour disruption (strike) activities including a possible full withdrawal of service. Of the 30,202 members who voted, 85.2% were in favour of a strike.^[10]

Talks between the union and the government proceeded with not much progress. The main sticking issue was compensation with the government offering a 10% increase (up from 8%) over 4 years and the union asking for a 19% increase (down from 24%) over 3 years.^[11]

Late in the day on June 30, 2006, the two sides reached a tentative agreement for a 16% increase over a 5 year contract. Because the agreement was reached before the month-end deadline, teachers are eligible for a signing bonus of approximately $4000.^[12]

[edit] History

July 12, 1919 - BCTF incorporated
1919 - First teachers' strike in the British Empire
1929 - First teacher salary grid based on experience and qualifications
1938 - Continuing contracts established for teachers
1942 - Teachers vote to join Trades and Labour Congress
1956 - AGM votes in opposition to affiliation with CLC
March 1971 - First province-wide teachers' strike (pensions)
1971 - Government removes compulsory membership. 99.6% of teachers rejoin BCTF
1973 - Compulsory membership reintroduced
1976 - BCTF helps develop the Public Sector Co-ordinating Council
November 1983 - Teachers mount three-day strike under the banner of "Operation Solidarity"
March 1984 - AGM adopts picket line policy
1987 - Government removes compulsory membership. 98% of teachers rejoin.
1987/1988 - All 76 locals of the BCTF certify as "union" locals under the Labour Code
March 1996 - AGM adopts Prince Rupert resolution to affiliate with the B.C. Federation of Labour. Membership rejects by 59% to 41%
March 2002 - AGM adopts Public Education Advocacy Plan
March 2002 - AGM votes to affiliate with the BCFed for a three-year trial period
August 2002 - During a protest, BCTF members surround labour arbitrator Eric Rice in his car.
September 2005 - Unable to reach a negotiated contract with BCPSEA, the BCTF takes a strike vote.
October 2005 - The BC Government passes Bill 12, imposing a contract on teachers. Teachers withdraw services in contravention of the newly-passed law. Mediator Vince Ready proposes settlement which both sides accept. The BC Supreme Court fines the organization CAD $500,000.
May 2006 - BCTF members vote to accept on-going affiliation with the BCFed and the Canadian Labour Congress.

[edit] Leadership

BCTF Executive Committee 2005–2006

President
Jinny Sims (pictured)
First Vice-President
Irene Lanzinger
Second Vice-President
Susan Lambert
Members-At-Large
John Chisamore, Jim Iker, Jill Mccaffery, George Popp, Fran Robinson, Lynda Toews, Kathleen Thomson, Val Windsor

Jinny Sims has been the BCTF president and primary spokeswoman since July 2004.

The sixth female president, Sims holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Victoria at Manchester (UK). Growing up in the United Kingdom, she moved with her family to Nanaimo, BC in 1975 where she taught social studies, English, and was a counsellor. Sims was elected president of the Nanaimo District Teachers' Association from 1992 to 1995. Since 1998 she has served on the BCTF Executive Committee as a member-at-large, second vice-president, first vice-president and ultimately president.

Past presidents include: