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BDTA: vote favouring more action shows strong mandate

B.C. teachers have voted 73 per cent in favour of protest action, including full withdrawal from extracurricular activities.

B.C. teachers have voted 73 per cent in favour of protest action to take effect immediately.

This includes full withdrawal from extracurricular activities and the possibility of a full strike following another vote, with date still to be determined.

Norm Sabourin, president of the Boundary District Teachers’ Association, stated the outcome of the vote shows a strong mandate.

“It may not be as strong as we would have liked, but it is a strong mandate,” he said. “Some members may have voted against it because they felt it wasn’t strong enough, or they felt it was too strong in a couple of areas.”

Of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation 41,000 members, 21,625 were in favour of the vote, while 7,846 were against the plan. The plan was created last month to resist Bill 22 (Education Improvement Act) that ended teacher job action and imposed a six-month cooling-off period.

“I can assure you that teachers across the province are absolutely opposed to Bill 22. The only question is what to do about it,” Sabourin concluded.

Last week, the B.C. Labour Relations Board (LRB) ruled that teachers had to prepare report cards for all students, with marks dating back to the start of the school year.

According to the LRB, teachers have until April 27 to complete report cards and submit them to administrators. The report cards must include letter grades or marks, attendance records and comments.

B.C. law requires three report cards per year, which the ruling noted would be followed by a final report card in June.

The action plan will be in effect immediately next week.

School District 51 Superintendent Michael Strukoff stated, “The total impact of the teacher’s decision won’t be clear right away,” he said. “At this point in time, both of our secondary schools are confident that the grad ceremonies will proceed as scheduled.”