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]

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.

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

Oct. 6, 2005
VSB trustees deeply frustrated over necessity for teachers’ strike

Trustees of the Vancouver School Board (VSB) say the provincial government has not acted in the best of interests of students in
provoking a province-wide shutdown of the public education system.

“Bill 12 does nothing to ensure long-term stability in public education,” says Allan Wong, VSB Vice-chairperson. “Legislated solutions and imposed settlements have contributed to the deterioration of relations among those who care about the quality of educational offerings for our students.”

Wong says the VSB has worked hard to repair those relations, which will suffer setbacks because of Bill 12. “We are still living with the scars of previous contract disputes that were settled through legislation.”

Trustees believe that long-term stability of the system is best achieved through respectful and productive labor relations, not by the heavy hand of government. They say Bill 12 will provide a short-term solution that will only exacerbate a long-term problem. Wong says a strike is the teachers’ last resort in their attempt to improve education for the province’s students.

“We call on the provincial government to do what’s right for public education,” says Wong, “and allow teachers to exercise their right to a freely-negotiated collective agreement.”

Wong says teachers want to meet the needs of their students, but are getting no help from government.

“When almost 91 per cent of the province’s teachers vote to take such action,” says Wong, “the provincial government needs to realize that these professionals have been deeply offended.”

For further information:

Allan Wong, VSB Vice-chairperson, 604-437-6074