At 4 a.m. mediator Vince Ready emerged from a hotel in Richmond to give reporters the news everyone has been hoping for.
A deal had been reached between the B.C. Teachers Federation (BCFT) and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA). All he would say was that the sides worked for 16 hours to produce the deal and a few more details were needed to be worked out before the deal was finalized.
“I’m not at liberty to disclose any of the details, nor will the parties until they finalize them,” said Ready.
Andrea Beaubien, the vice chair of the School District 48 board of school trustees said she was happy to hear the news but she was short on details.
“A tentative deal is way better than when I went to bed last night,” she said minutes before she dialed into a conference call to learn more about what will happen next.
"This is wonderful news for the students, teachers, administrators, support staff, trustees and parents in BC," said Teresa Rezansoff, president of the B.C. School Trustees Association. "The immediate goal is to get students back in classes as quickly as possible. We must then focus on the critical work of strengthening our public education system and rebuilding trust."
Check back for more details as additional information becomes available.
