VANCOUVER – The mediator in a teachers’ dispute that has disrupted the whole school year is an advocate for the government rather than a skilled negotiator who can help both sides reach a deal, says a lawyer for the teachers’ union.
John Hodgins is asking a judge to quash the mediator’s appointment, saying Charles Jago is too biased and inexperienced to do the job.
Hodgins said Thursday the government’s appointment of Jago in March was botched from the start because a 2006 report he wrote on the public education system was in tune with the Liberals’ position on the current teacher contract issues.
He said a report Jago has been instructed to complete by June 30 on unresolved issues and recommendations should be held back until B.C. Supreme Court Judge Hope Hyslop makes a decision on the appointment.
Education Minister George Abbott has staunchly defended Jago as a qualified mediator and maintains he’s prepared to legislate an end to the dispute if the mediation effort fails.
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A March 28 news release announcing Jago’s appointment said the former president of the University of Northern B.C. has held academic appointments in Canadian universities for more than 40 years.
But Hodgins argued Jago has no experience in the kindergarten to Grade 12 system and that he isn’t known as a mediator.
He said Jago’s 2006 report included his position on teachers’ seniority rights, professional development and evaluations, and that the conclusions match the objectives of the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the government’s bargaining agent.
The issue of seniority is a major stumbling block in the dispute, with the union saying the ministry wants to strip seniority protections from collective agreements while Abbott has said he wants to standardize the wording for all districts.
The word suitability has become prickly for both sides, and Hodgins said the union is worried principals will hire certain teachers based on certain conditions that will trump seniority.
He said teachers don’t trust Jago because his 2006 report sides with the government on such a thorny issue.
“He’s just wrong in what he said, demonstrably wrong, and we argue that the conclusions Jago reached are demonstrably incorrect.”
Hodgins said Jago had already been asked to take on the mediation job in early February, before the government asked the union, on March 17, for names of possible mediators who could deal with the contract issues.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation has asked for a 15 per cent wage hike while the government is holding to what amounts to a wage freeze.
Teachers have refused to participate in extracurricular activities as part of their job action and in some cases long-established year-end student outings have been cancelled.
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