The depths of the desperation some teachers have reached are on display on the racks of a woman’s clothing consignment store in downtown Maple Ridge.
In the last few weeks, at least four teachers have brought in items to Crazy About Clothes, so they can be sold on consignment and teachers can raise some badly needed cash.
“Someone brought in a beautiful piece of jewelry that was a gift, and she brought it in,” said store owner Nancy McConnell.
“Some teachers are consigning their clothes to me because they need the money.”
McConnell has owned the store for three and a half years, and this August was her worst month since.
Business has picked up a bit recently.
“But not for school.”
Many teachers shop at her store, which is how she gets to know them. Now, they’re dropping items off for sale for some quick cash. The store sells used women’s clothes, shoes, purses and jewelry.
“The teachers that are off are not getting paid.”
In other strikes, workers at least got strike pay, she added.
There is no end to the current strike in sight.
Teachers are voting today on a plan that could re-open schools almost immediately.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation is holding a province-wide plebiscite, asking its members to accept binding arbitration to end their labour battle with the province.
The vote is going ahead, although Education Minister Peter Fassbender has already said the province will not agree to enter binding arbitration. He said Tuesday that the vote is intended to make it appear the government does not want a settlement.
Fassbender added that binding arbitration is “not in the cards,” and asked the union to instead suspend its strike until the two sides could get to a settlement through mediation.
The Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association president believes arbitration is probably the only way a settlement will be reached.
“It looks that way. In 18 months, we haven’t seen the government budge one iota,” said George Serra.
He added that arbitration is a process that could take six to eight months, but the strike would be suspended as soon as both sides agreed to enter it.
In arbitration, each side declares its position, and a neutral third party attempts to find a fair compromise. The negotiating parties are bound to accept the decisions.
“Binding arbitration is scary for both parties,” said Serra.
However, he said the advantage is that the new school year would begin, and the two sides would eventually have an agreement.
With a positive vote on the matter, he said the union is reaffirming to the public and parents that the BCTF is bargaining in good faith.
“There is one group keeping kids out of school.”
The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District issued a statement this week, calling on the two parties to enter arbitration, and for the provincial government to commit to full funding of boards of education to cover the costs of the new contract.
“The theatrics, vitriol, game playing, personal attacks and politics that have characterized this and previous rounds of bargaining between teachers and the provincial government are, quite simply, unprofessional and unacceptable,” said the board.
- With files from Neil Corbett