Putting class-size limits back into teacher contracts is the most important issue facing teacher working conditions, says the local teacher union’s leader.
Teachers wore black last Friday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Liberal government stripping class size restrictions from teachers’ contracts, as well as caseload ratios for specialist teachers.
The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in April 2011 the move was unconstitutional. However, the provincial government has yet to act on the ruling.
Current legislation does include class size limits, but only requires school districts to consult with teachers before going over the cap.
“Because it’s not in the contract, it’s a soft cap, and we can’t grieve it,” said Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association president George Serra. “[The limits] have no teeth.”
Current limits cap kindergarten classes at 20 students per class, while primary (Grades 1 to 3) ones have a limit of 24. Secondary and intermediate (Grades 4 to 7) classes have a limit of 30 students.
“In our district, we clearly see larger intermediate and secondary classes, especially in shop classes, which puts safety at jeopardy,” said Serra. “People need to know that every cut is a cut to programs and services for students. It is not about trimming any fat, because there is none. The government needs to reinvest in our public education system.”
School District No. 42 superintendent Jan Unwin said she doesn’t want to speculate on the effect stricter class size limits would have on the district, should they be included in the next teacher contract, given the ongoing negotiations between the province and teachers.
“We are in a wait-and-see mode as we do not want to spend energy on speculation, as there are just too many possibilities,” she said.
Local teachers and their counterparts around the province have been taking part in work-to-rule job action since contract talks with the province broke down last summer.
Two sides no closer in contract dispute
With contract negotiations between B.C. teachers and the provincial government now entering their 12th month, the two sides seem no closer to a resolution they then they were nearly a year ago.
The B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the provincial government’s bargaining agent, released a statement on Wednesday, suggesting the two sides were at an impasse.
“It has become evident ... that any number of presentations, explanations or meetings will not help the parties to reach a new agreement,” the statement said. “Our current disagreements do not come about through a lack of understanding or appreciation; there is fundamental disagreement on what would be reasonable for the union to accept.”
The B.C. Teachers Federation proposed a three-year contract that would see teachers given a 15 per cent increase over that span. While the BCTF estimates the contract will cost the provincial government an extra $300 million per year, BCPSEA pegs that number at upwards of $500 million in the first year alone, with a total price tag for the three-year contract at more than $2 billion.
Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association president George Serra said the contract the BCTF is proposing would still pay teachers less than in other provinces.
According to statement by BCPSEA, “for a settlement to be reached there will have to be an acceptance by the BCTF of the financial limitations of the employer and a willingness to work with us to adapt certain collective agreement provisions to the world in which our schools now exist.”
Contract talks were scheduled to continue on Thursday.