For Immediate Release

2014EDUC0041-000848
June 19, 2014
Ministry o Edu!ation
"#$#EME%#
"tatement &y Edu!ation Minister 'eter Fass&ender
($%C)U(ER - Edu!ation Minister 'eter Fass&ender addressed media t*is
mornin+ and ,ro-ided t*e ollo.in+ statement/
0)n "unday, t*e 1ritis* Colum&ia 'u&li! "!*ool Em,loyers2 $sso!iation
31C'"E$4 ta&led an aorda&le, !reati-e and !om,re*ensi-e ,a!5a+e to
end t*e stalemate, +et 5ids &a!5 in s!*ool and !reate lon+-term
sta&ility or ,arents, student and tea!*ers6
0#*at !om,re*ensi-e oer or settlement in!luded t*e s,e!ial 71,200
si+nin+ &onus or a deal &y June 80, an im,ro-ed .a+e oer, +uaranteed
undin+ or !lass !om,osition, and &rid+in+ ,ro-isions to address t*e
!ourt !ase6
0#*e !om,re*ensi-e ,a!5a+e is ully in line .it* t*e .a+e in!reases and
aorda&le a+reements already rea!*ed &y nearly 190,000 ,u&li! se!tor
.or5ers6 It .as not ta&led li+*tly6 It .as made !lear to t*e 1ritis*
Colum&ia #ea!*ers2 Federation 31C#F4 t*at .e ,ut our &est ,ossi&le
oer on t*e ta&le and it .as aimed at !on!ludin+ t*is round o
&ar+ainin+6
0)n :ednesday, t*e 1C#F ,resented t*eir ull set o demands6 #*ey
illed in t*eir &lan5s and !lariied t*eir ,ositions6 $nd instead o
mo-in+ us !loser, t*eir latest demands mo-ed t*em urt*er a.ay rom t*e
aorda&ility ;one or ,u&li! se!tor settlements6
0#*eir .a+e and &eneit demands alone are more t*an t.i!e .*at ot*er
unions *a-e settled or6 )n to, o t*at, t*ey are ,us*in+ or *undreds
o millions more ea!* year in ot*er !ontra!t demands6
0I2m disa,,ointed6 :e are no. urt*er a.ay rom an a+reement t*an .e
.ere a .ee5 a+o6 :e .ant to +i-e tea!*ers a raise &ut t*e 1C#F
leaders*i, is ma5in+ t*at -irtually im,ossi&le6
0:*at 1C'"E$ *as oered is already at t*e -ery limit o .*at .e !an
aord6 :e !annot s,lit t*e dieren!e6 )ur +o-ernment *as a
undamental !ommitment to &alan!e t*e &ud+et and .e *a-e an o&li+ation
to deal airly .it* all 800,000 16C6 ,u&li! se!tor .or5ers6
0I .ant to &e !lear t*at 1C'"E$ is not .al5in+ a.ay rom t*e ta&le and
.e remain !ommitted to rea!*in+ an a+reement &y June 806 %or is
+o-ernment interested in le+islatin+ a !ontra!t6
0:e a,,re!iate t*at &rin+s .it* it t*e ,ossi&ility t*at t*is stri5e
!ould +o on or <uite a .*ile6 =o. lon+ it .ill last is entirely u, to
t*e 1C#F - &ut any *o,e o timely resolution .ill re<uire t*e 1C#F
e>e!uti-e to &e realisti!6
0:e a!!e,t t*at t*ey .ant to +et t*e &est ,ossi&le deal or t*eir
mem&ers, &ut tea!*ers need to understand t*at t*e &est ,ossi&le deal is
one t*at lands s<uarely in t*e same aorda&le ;one as t*e settlements
+o-ernment *as already rea!*ed .it* ot*er ,u&li! se!tor unions6
0#*e +o-ernment and 1C'"E$ remain !ommitted to .or5in+ .it* t*e 1C#F
a!*ie-e t*e &est ,ossi&le deal or tea!*ers - .*ile 5ee,in+ it air or
ot*er .or5ers and aorda&le or ta>,ayers60