The B.C. Teachers’ Federation’s (BCTF) “rotating” job action is returning next week to a school and district near you.
Public-school teachers and students in the Sea to Sky School District, including Squamish, will be out of the classroom on Friday, June 6, as a result of the BCTF’s latest move to try to persuade the government-led B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCSPEA) to strike a deal on a new contract.
The BCTF’s move marks the second consecutive week that teachers will walk off the job for one day in each district across the province as part of “Stage 2” of their job action. The B.C. government has responded to saying it’ll roll back teachers’ wages by 10 per cent and will lock teachers out during the final few days of the 2013-’14 school year in late June.
On Wednesday (May 28), Lisa McCullough, Sea to Sky district superintendent, sent a letter home to parents announcing that local schools will be closed on June 6 and warning that that might not be the final time.
“Given the nature of ‘rotating’ strikes, and dependent on provincial bargaining progress, we are again advising you of the possibility of future closures,” McCullough wrote.
“It remains our collective hope that the labour dispute is resolved quickly at the bargaining table and that our school district can soon return to normal operations. Thank you for your continued understanding during this challenging time.”
The school closure is likely to affect some events. For example, a concert by the Don Ross Secondary School band, which had been planned at Squamish Elementary School on June 6, has been rescheduled, teacher Julie Wallace told students in a group email. As well, the bands’ final year-end concert that was scheduled for the evening of Thursday, June 12, will instead take place during the school day on June 20, she said.
Stay tuned to The Squamish Chief for updates on this developing story.
