BC Teachers Adopt Bold Plan to Resist Unjust Legislation

by Stephen Petrina on March 21, 2012

BCTF AGM delegates break for information briefing (3-19-2012)

In addition to acknowledging and endorsing the immensely reliable and visionary leadership of BC Teachers’ Federation President Susan Lambert by re-electing her to a third term, BC teachers adopted a bold plan to resist the “harsh and unjust measures contained in Bill 22.”  About 700 delegates sustained an AGM over the weekend and through yesterday to see through the union’s Executive elections and formulate a response for the teachers to the draconian measures imposed by the BC Liberals.

“Christy Clark as education minister started this fight 10 years ago with her legislation that stripped teachers’ collective agreements of our bargaining rights and of guarantees for quality learning conditions for students,” said BCTF President Susan Lambert. “The BC Supreme Court found her bills to be illegal and unconstitutional, yet her government has done nothing to show respect for the ruling, for public education or for the teachers and students of BC. In fact they’re violating the rights of teachers and cutting the same services to students with Bill 22.”

“In April, all teachers will vote on the plan recommended by the AGM delegates. To be clear, the plan also includes a possibility of a future province-wide vote of members on whether it’s necessary to respond to government actions with a full-scale protest against Bill 22,” President Lambert emphasized. “At every step of the way, government has chosen bullying tactics instead of respectfully working with teachers towards a solution.”

Read More, BCTF News release