October 4, 2005
Burnaby MLAs Back Legislation to Protect Sudents
Victoria – Burnaby MLAs John Nuraney, Richard T. Lee and Harry Bloy are supporting the legislation that will settle the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation’s (BCTF) contract dispute, ensuring students remain in classrooms.
“We have always said education is an essential service and we would put the interests of students first,” said Bloy, MLA for Burquitlam. “Our government takes great exception to the teacher’s union belief that a prolonged labour disruption will not have an impact on students. This is why we are acting now – to protect a child’s right to an education.”
“One day lost to a strike is one too many,” said Lee, MLA for Burnaby –North. “Parents have told me over-and-over any strike or job action is unacceptable. Our government is listening to their concerns and we are placing the interests of students’ first.”
“We are standing by our long-held position that students suffer in any strike action,” said Nuraney, MLA for Burnaby –Willingdon. “There is no excuse for the BCTF to resort to labour disruption and place our children’s education in jeopardy.”
The legislation, introduced by Labour Minister Mike de Jong, will roll over the contract that expired in June 2004 and extend it to June 2006. On September 30, 2005, a Ministry of Labour fact-finder found that the BCTF and the B.C. Public School Employers Association had not agreed to a single issue after 35 meetings and had no hope of reaching a settlement.
Under the NDP, four-million student days were lost due to labour disputes and during the election campaign the NDP lobbied to remove education as an essential service. There has never been a negotiated agreement between the BCPSEA and the BCTF since the two were accredited as province-wide bargaining agents in 1993.
-30-
