Daily Archives: October 7, 2005

Stories from the line

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This morning one of my sons and I visited a number of Vancouver teacher picket lines. Our first stop was our neighbourhood school, U. Hill. Secondary, to distribute the message of support from the U. Hill PAC. We also took the opportunity to hand out copies of the support letter being circulated through this blog. From there we visited teachers at U. Hill Elementary, Queen Mary, Kitsilano Secondary, Lord Bing Secondary, Jules Quesnel, and Queen Elizabeth before returning home.

At each stop teachers expressed warmth and appreciation for all of the support that we are providing. Teachers from all of the areas reported strong moral support from passing drivers and others, like my son and I who stopped to talk. At Queen Mary a local parent and her children were serving coffee to the dozen or so teachers on the picket line. At Kitsilano a student teacher dropped by to give his support. VSB school trustee Noel Herron was also making his rounds listening to the concerns of teachers on the line.

While Ms. Bond may feel that a day out of school is a learning opportunity lost, my son and I have a different opinion. We learned a lot from the teachers we spoke with and I am pretty sure that My son has gained a very important lesson about the willingness of working people to stand up for their rights and the willingness of our teachers to stand up for public education!

In Solidarity,

Charles Menzies

Bill 12 passes 3rd reading and recieves royal assent (from draft Hansard)

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Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, is it agreed that we take the division now? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Some Hon. Members: Aye. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Bill 12, Teachers’ Collective Agreement Act, reported complete without amendment, read a third time on the following division and passed:

Bill 12, Teachers’ Collective Agreement Act, reported complete without amendment, read a third time on the following division and passed:

YEAS — 42
Falcon, Reid, Coell,Ilich, Chong, Christensen, Les, Richmond, Bell, Bennett, van Dongen, Roddick, Hayer, Lee, Jarvis, Nuraney, Horning, Cantelon, Thorpe
Hagen, Oppal, de Jong, Campbell, Taylor, Bond,Abbott, Penner, Neufeld Coleman
Hogg Sultan Hawkins Krueger Lekstrom Mayencourt Polak Hawes Yap MacKay Black
McIntyre Rustad

NAYS — 26
S. Simpson, Fleming, Farnworth, James,Kwan, Brar, B. Simpson, Cubberley,
Hammell, Coons, Thorne, Puchmayr,gentner, Routley, Fraser, Horgan, Dix,
Bains, Robertson, Karagianis, Ralston, Krog, Chudnovsky, Chouhan, Wyse,
Sather

Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, the House will go into recess now awaiting the Administrator for royal assent. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

The House recessed at 2:17 p.m. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

H038/jsb/1555

The House recessed from 2:17 p.m. to 3:56 p.m. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Royal Assent to Bills

His Honour the Administrator entered the chamber and took his place in the chair. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Clerk Assistant:
Teachers’ Collective Agreement Act
In Her Majesty’s name, His Honour the Administrator doth assent to this act. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

His Honour the Administrator retired from the chamber. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Hon. M. de Jong: Wishing all members and British Columbians a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day weekend, I move that this House do now adjourn. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Hon. M. de Jong moved adjournment of the House. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Motion approved. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until Monday, October 17, at 10 p.m. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

The House adjourned at 3:58 p.m. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]

Chudnovsky reads letters of support into the record in Victoria.

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You can find letters of support read into the record by David Chudnovsky in the Hansard record. I’ve copied a brief extract from his speech earlier today in the extended entry that follows: D. Chudnovsky: A letter from some parents, which was copied to me but was addressed to the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We are parents at Britannia Secondary School, Vancouver, and we’re very concerned about the recent teacher labour dispute and the possible government action of imposing a contract on the teachers causing the teachers to walk out, thus disrupting the education of our children. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
As parents we have seen class size increases, fewer school counsellors, diminished support of our special needs and ESL students, smaller school budgets for supplies and learning resources, old textbooks and higher school fees in Britannia Secondary School. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
They say, in closing: “We strongly urge you as government officials to consider the real needs of our children and the important role of our teachers in their development. Please try to do your very best to do everything to bring a satisfactory outcome to all parties.” Instructing us and suggesting to us and counselling us, once again, that the amendment before us should be passed, so that we can respond to the kind of point of view that is expressed in this letter. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
My colleague from Vancouver-Hastings, an hour ago or three hours ago or whenever it was that he was speaking, began to read a letter from an organization called the New Proposals Publishing Society and the Inner-city School Supporters, and unfortunately because I thought he was doing a wonderful job, but time marches on he wasn’t able to finish reading that letter. I’d like to do that, if I may. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Again, giving us advice on how we as a House should respond to the kind of situation that we face. They say:
We are parents, students and community members who share a strong sense of respect and admiration for the hard work and dedication that our teachers in the public school system demonstrate on a daily basis. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We’re writing to you to express our disappointment in the actions of your government with respect to teachers. We appreciate that you believe you’re putting children first in education, but as parents and others concerned about the welfare of our children, who’ve seen the direct effects of your actions in our public school, we would respectfully disagree. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Under your administration the situation in schools has gotten worse, not better. Class sizes have increased, support for learning disabilities has declined, and many schools have inadequate resources. Parent advisory councils have been compelled to pay for funding gaps, while teachers spend more and more of their personal income on needed school resources. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Your government has placed the burden of these problems on the backs of our teachers. Not surprisingly they have voted overwhelmingly to say: “No more.” We’re writing to express our support of the actions being taken by our public school teachers. We also ask that Bill 12 be withdrawn and the government enter into direct talks to reach a fair, free and democratic collective agreement with the teachers of B.C. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It’s signed by dozens and dozens and dozens of people who live in the province and who, once again, provide advice to this House as to how we should go about resolving this situation.

U. Hill Secondary Letter of Support for Teachers

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FYI: This letter is being hand delivered to U. Hill teachers in Vancouver this morning on the picketline.

University Hill Secondary PAC
October 7, 2005

Dear Teachers,

At our most recent PAC executive we passed a motion of support for the hard work and dedication that you all demonstrate as teachers of our children. We value and appreciate your efforts and stand with you in this moment of difficulty.

In Solidarity,

U. Hill PAC Exec

cc: Vancouver DPAC
Vancouver School Board