Bulkley Valley teacher rep, Karen Bachman says teachers are on the picket line for more than just a wage increase.
“Bulkley Valley has had good class sizes and our board here has managed the money that they have gotten from the government very well. so our problem is not with our local school board at all but it is with provincial funding. We do have a lot of kids that would benefit from more one on one time with learner support teachers.”
She says the bargaining has to do with class sizes, composition, funding for specialized assistants and pay raises for the teachers.
Bachman says the BCTF and the province are at the bargaining table again today and will be at the Labour Relations Board on Thursday to address lock outs and docked pay threats from the province.
Bachman says hopefully a deal can be reached soon but if not parents can expect rotating strikes in each school district one day a week, likely not on the same day.
“We haven’t been told yet by BCTF what will happen next week but we will make sure that parents are informed as soon as possible.”