For Immediate Release

2014EDUC0038-000836
June 17, 2014
inistr! o" Edu#ation
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Edu#ation inister(s statement on status o" tea#)er *ar+ainin+
,IC%-RI& - Edu#ation inister .eter Fass*ender released t)e
"ollo/in+ statement on t)e status o" *ar+ainin+ /it) t)e 0ritis)
Colum*ia %ea#)ers( Federation 10C%F23
4%)e *ar+ainin+ teams /or5ed )ard t)rou+) t)e /ee5end and 6ro+ress
/as made7
4-n $unda!, t)e 0ritis) Colum*ia .u*li# $#)ool Em6lo!ers(
&sso#iation 10C.$E&2 ta*led a #om6re)ensi8e 6ro6osal to )el6 end t)e
stalemate, +et 5ids *a#5 in s#)ool and #reate lon+-term sta*ilit!
"or 6arents, students and tea#)ers7
40C.$E&(s 6a#5a+e in#luded an im6ro8ed /a+e o""er and realisti# and
"le9i*le solutions to address #lass #om6osition7 It(s "ull! in line
/it) ot)er a+reements /e(8e rea#)ed /it) 6u*li#-se#tor /or5ers and
it(s a*out as +ood as /e #an )o6e to +et it7
4:)en ne+otiations ad;ourned late $unda! ni+)t, it /as 0C.$E&(s
e96e#tation t)at tal5s /ould #ontinue onda!7 0C.$E& rea#)ed out to
t)e 0C%F and ;ust minutes a+o t)e! res6onded t)e!(d *e *a#5 to
*ar+ainin+ later t)is a"ternoon7
4I *elie8e t)at *ot) 6arties /ant t)is dis6ute resol8ed7 I" t)e 0C%F
/ants to +et a deal done t)e! need to +et *a#5 to *ar+ainin+ and 6ut
all t)eir #ards on t)e ta*le7 :)ile t)e!(8e mo8ed on t)eir /a+e
demands, t)e! )a8e not 6ro8ided #lear ans/ers on /)at ot)er #ost
items are still on t)e ta*le7 &"ter 16 mont)s, t)e 0C%F is still
6us)in+ 6ro6osals t)at literall! )a8e *lan5s in t)em /)ere t)ere
s)ould *e dollar "i+ures7
4$tudents )a8e *een turned a/a! "rom t)eir #lassrooms and tea#)ers
are losin+ in#ome7 %)e 0C%F o/es it to e8er!one to "ill in t)ose
*lan5s, ta*le t)eir "ull set o" demands, and res6ond to t)e
#om6re)ensi8e settlement o""er t)at 0C.$E& )as 6ut on t)e ta*le7
40C.$E& )as /or5ed 8er! )ard to 6ut to+et)er a settlement t)at is
"air "or tea#)ers, "air "or ta96a!ers, and "air to t)e 1<0,000
6u*li#-se#tor /or5ers /)o(8e alread! rea#)ed a+reements7
4&s 0C.$E& demonstrated last /ee5 and t)rou+) t)e /ee5end, t)e! are
read! to *ar+ain 24=77 :e /ant to see an a+reement *! June 30 so
e8er!one #an )ead into t)e summer /it) t)is dis6ute *e)ind us and
t)e 5no/led+e t)e s!stem is on a 6at) to lon+-term sta*ilit!74