Bill 22 and US education ‘reform’
A teacher wrote on our Facebook page the other day asking what the connection was between Bill 22 and US education reforms. I had posted an article about a teacher…
Tara Ehrcke
Bill 22 and the erosion of teacher professionalism
The mainstream media love to print stories chiding teachers for being in a union (and a militant one at that). One of the their arguments is that trade unionism is…
Surrey teachers speak to Mr. Abbott
From the Chimney Hill Elementary Teaching Staff To the Honourable George Abbott, Minister of Education On the Occasion of His Visit to Our School. We have chosen as a teaching…
Bill 22 and Class Size/Class Composition
Bill 22 eliminates all class composition limits. There is no longer a need to report or consult regardless of the number of students with an IEP in a single class.…
BC Liberals: You reap what you sow…
Today the BCGEU, representing provincial government employees in BC, announced they will be holding a strike vote. They are seeking wage increases of 8% over 2 years and the government…
From public to private: a subtle path
There was some nasty commentary this week in the Province because a BC teacher compared Bill 22 to Nazi germany. It was pretty ripe coming from a newspaper that had…
What is this dispute about? Putting equity last, and corporations first
Today’s guest post is from Bruce McCloy, a teacher in New Westminster. Why is this current stand so important? For those who are currently monitoring this public site on behalf…
Walk out pamphlet – arguments for full withdrawal to resist Bill 22
Are teachers in your community debating how we should resist Bill 22? Please copy and share this leaflet with other teachers as we debate strategy: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxob2xkdGhlbGluZWd2dGF8Z3g6NmUwOWJkYzFkZjlmY2M3NA
Teachers debate a response to Bill 22
Tomorrow, at the BCTF Annual General Meeting, BC teachers will debate and vote on a way forward to challenge Bill 22 – the BC government legislation that imposes a constrained,…
Lessons from the US – when unions don’t strike to contest unjust laws
In my previous blog post, I listed the numerous times that both legal and illegal strike action was taken by Canadian unions and by BC teachers. Illegal strike action has…
Lessons from history – legislation and illegal strikes
Should teachers take action in response to Bill 22? Should they walk out regardless of the question of ‘legality’? It now looks almost certain that even with School Boards, the…
How do teachers defeat Bill 22?
In one week, BC teachers will be meeting at our Annual General Meeting to discuss next steps to defeat Bill 22. It is imperative that we look at both what…
Critical thinking and Bill 22 – A teacher rebuts George Abbott
Dear Minister Abbott: Imagine there are two children arguing in the playground over a toy. Picture a tall, brutish bully, and a wiry, bespectacled nerd. Never mind that the toy…
What is this strike about? A moving letter from a Saanich teacher
I would like to thank you, Mr. Abbott. My wife and I have just had an excellent discussion with our daughters about power, and about the importance of checks and…
Public education – Christy: it’s about equality
Of all the spin put on the current dispute, one aspect that seems to be getting very little attention is really at the heart of the issue – what level…
BC Teachers’ Day of Action: It’s about priorities…
Here is the speech I gave yesterday at our Rally to support teachers for a fair deal: Thank you so much everyone for being here today. Some of you are…
Rally to support teachers for a fair deal
On Thursday, Education Minister George Abbott indicated his intention to introduce a “package” of bills next week. It seems that legislating an end to bargaining is only one objective. The…
On a legislated contract and parents who care – one teacher’s perspective
A Victoria teacher responded to a CBC interview with Sheila Orr about the Liberal government’s plan to legislate an imposed contract on teachers: I was so discouraged to hear Sheila…
Will the BC government agree to mediation to resolve teacher bargaining?
Today the BCTF made a request for the Labour Relations Board to appoint a mediator to help resolve teacher bargaining. Not only the LRB, but also the Minister can call…