Picket lines could be up today (Oct. 7) at schools on the Coast and around the province.
On Wednesday night, teachers voted 90.5 per cent in favour of walking off the job. And they won't go back unless they have a new contract.
The action comes after a tense week between the provincial government and the B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF).
On Monday, the government introduced Bill 12, which imposes the previous 2004 contract on teachers and halts any strike action, forcing teachers across the province back to work.Bill 12 marks the fifth time since 1993 that the B.C. government has imposed a contract on teachers.
The government hoped to pass Bill 12 in the legislature Thursday night as Coast Reporter went to press.
The BCTF held an emergency meeting on Tuesday night to plan their response.
"Teachers on the Coast are infuriated. I've never seen them so upset. I think province-wide, this is the last straw," said Sunshine Coast Teachers' Association president Bill Forst.
"What Bill 12 does essentially is extend our current agreement until June 2006. That contract does not address our concerns about class sizes, support for special needs students or the wage increase the government is saying they can't afford, despite a $2 billion surplus."
On Thursday morning, Forst said he was not surprised by the outcome of Wednesday's vote.
"The members at our meeting on Tuesday were very frustrated and solid in their decision to protest this legislation," Forst said.
Labour minister Mike deJong was scheduled to meet with BCTF president Jinny Sims on Thursday.When asked if this was an "encouraging sign," Forst said it was, but he was unsure if anything could avoid a walk out.
"Teachers have been asking for months now for face-to-face meetings," Forst said. "I'm happy that there is a meeting, but it's disappointing that it took such drastic steps for something to happen."Forst said he understands the problems job action brings, especially for parents.
"Parents and other teachers have approached me and they have all said they understand our concerns," Forst said. "I think we have a lot of support here on the Coast."
The employers, the B.C. Public School Employers Association, were expected to go to the Labour Relations Board on Thursday to protest the walkout and seek sanctions against the BCTF.
In an interview with Global TV on Wednesday night, Sims said she was prepared to go to jail if the situation came down to that.
Forst said he shared Sims' views.
"At our meeting on Tuesday, there were two loud rounds of applause, one to take a stand and protest this legislation and when I said I would be prepared to go to jail over this," Forst said.
On Thursday morning, superintendent of schools for School District No. 46 Stewart Hercus was busy meeting with principals and sending a note to parents to explain the situation.
"If pickets go up, schools will be closed for students, but will remain open for staff," Hercus said. "Other union groups have indicated that they won't cross a picket line, so any community events set for the schools will probably be cancelled because there won't be any custodial service. "This is a tough situation. It's hard on parents. It's a waiting game because this is a provincial issue and we have no control. It is the sincere hope of this board that the dispute will be concluded quickly and that normal school operations will resume as soon as possible."
