John Cummins: Pass Bill 22 NOW!!!

Earlier today - John Cummins, Leader of the BC Conservatives stated the following on Bill 22:

John Cummins, Leader of British Columbia’s Conservatives called on the government to have the legislature sit through the weekend to pass “back to work” legislation and prevent the teachers’ strike from hurting students’ education.

“I question the government’s commitment to keep kids in the classroom – If they wanted to get Bill 22 passed before next week’s teacher’s strike, the legislature would be sitting today and through the weekend,” said Cummins. “Delaying debate until next week shows that the Liberals are playing politics with education. It’s obvious they are calculating that a three-day strike will turn public opinion against the teachers. By not sitting through the weekend the Liberals have chosen tactical advantage in their dispute with the teachers over the needs of students and parents across the province.”

“While British Columbia’s Conservatives believe that the government should do all it can to keep the teachers in the classroom, Bill 22 is a flawed bill. It combines back to work and mediation legislation with changes to certain aspects of the education system such as the learning improvement fund the Liberals are heavily advertising with taxpayers’ dollars. These issues should be separated from back to work legislation. The focus should be on preventing the teachers’ strike, not piecemeal tweaks to the education system.”

Meanwhile - BC Conservative Kamloops Regional Director Alan Forseth also has a look at this topic which you can read here

Update -- a BC Teacher gives his perspective on what Bill 22 means to him - read here

Finally - my thoughts are:

1) Pass the Bill (22) as there is nothing served by a delay - both sides are entrenched in their views -- Gov't: Net Zero vs BCTF: negotiate rather than 'legislate' and everyone knows that Bill 22 will be law - it's a matter of time

2) Revist the entire bargaining process -- since 1994, only 1 Teacher Labour Contract has been successfully negotiated and that was to ensure 'labour peace' in the runup to the 2010 Winter Olympics.  All other times - the BCTF has had contracts' imposed on their members by both the NDP/BC Liberal Governments.  That tells me in 18 years, one successful contract negotiation is a very telling sign that the 'bargaining system' for teachers' does not work and needs to be changed perhaps with a provision around binding arbition that takes into account either side and ability to pay (economy, etc) after talks have failed.  In fact - experts have called for precisely this earlier this week

Bottom Line - A contract will be imposed on teachers one way or another -- that much is clear in my mind.  The BC Liberals should then complete a wholesale review of the entire bargaining structure for teachers with seeking input from all stakeholders (teachers, parents and others) and make the necessary/appropriate changes so that kids, as some put it, are not used as 'pawns' to an adult issue in the future - both short, medium and long term


SBF