Province, teachers must find better way

The B.C. Teachers’ Federation’s new president, Glen Hansman, an elementary school teacher from Vancouver, says his top priority will be getting more money for education. If this were a normal bargaining cycle, Hansman would have time on his side. The current contract doesn’t expire until 2019.

Many teachers were critical of the way last year’s negotiations were handled. The leadership called for a strike just as the summer break was beginning, which removed the pressure on the government to improve its offer.

Hansman’s first job is to come up with a more realistic negotiating schedule. But there is an elephant in the room.

In November, the Supreme Court of Canada is to hear arguments in the dispute over class size. The government insists this is a management issue, while the unio views the matter as a workload concern.

Whichever way the court rules, the decision will have a huge impact on the next collective agreement. If the teachers’ federation wins, the government will have to hire more staff and perhaps pay reparations backdated to 2002. In that event, government negotiators would be in no mood to offer higher salaries. If the union loses, Hansman will face a disappointed and furious membership. And the government will not give back at the table what the teachers lost in court.

If both sides can build common ground, perhaps some of the rancour will dissipate. There is a broader context to consider. The public is fed up with a system that has produced 48 local strikes, several wider walkouts, three legislated contracts and just two negotiated settlements in 30 years. If either side is contemplating another round of warfare, they had better think again.