VERNON – Teachers in Vernon are back on the picket lines today.
Last night the BC Teachers Federation announced the result of a province-wide vote.
Teachers were asked if they would be willing to end the strike if conditions including binding arbitration were met. 99.4 per cent of union members who voted said yes.
The local teachers’ association sees it as an overwhelming endorsement of seeking binding arbitration.
“That’s a strong message to the government that teachers have provided a solution. They want to get back to work,” says Vernon Teachers’ Association president Heather Malcolm.
“I think it’s clear teachers want to go back to work,” adds Lorge.
Even before teachers voted, the province had said no to binding arbitration.
The government says the “best” way to resolve the labour dispute is at the negotiating table.
“Let’s get at the table. I don’t want to see any third party or any mechanism that would prevent us from getting a proper fair negotiated settlement and getting kids back in school,” says Education Minister Peter Fassbender.
After the vote results were released the minister put out his own statement, saying binding arbitration would lead to unacceptable tax increases.
“It’s a nice political sound bite when you say it’s going to cost taxpayers money because it puts the fear in everyone,” says Lorge.
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