Premier Christy Clark has weighed in on the teachers labour dispute with a news conference Wednesday afternoon where she urged the educators to suspend their job action while negotiations continue.
“It will give us a chance to get to the issue that’s most vitally important and that’s classroom composition. It’s making sure there’s more teachers, other educators and support workers in classrooms to ensure kids with special needs and typical kids get what they need.”
The premier says there’s “no question” teachers deserve a raise but adds it must be reasonable and in line with other public sector settlements.
“The teachers union needs to come to table with proposal that’s realistic. For heaven’s sake, 150,000 other public sector employees who work just as hard have settled for far less. They didn’t get a $5,000 signing bonus.”
And Clark reiterated her stance that the dispute must be settled at the bargaining table and not in the legislature.
“For 30 years, kids have found themselves locked out of their schools because we have such a dysfunctional system. And until we can start negotiating settlements at the table, that dysfunction is not going to end and kids are going to continue to be at risk.”
Clark says she believes the animosity prevalent during the dispute can be overcome as long as emotions are set aside.
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