Teachers and Students
The labour movement backs the BC Teachers Federation “Wildcat” Strike

Nicole Burton, News Editor

 

On October 7, BC’s 38,000 public school teachers
began strike action after BC parliament passed Bill 12.
The controversial bill forces an expired contract onto
teachers until spring of next year, denying the British
Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF) the right to col-
lective bargaining. Despite the strike being deemed
‘illegal’ by the government, BCTF membership cast
their votes for job action, with an overwhelming 90.5
percent voting in favor earlier last week.

By Friday, the decision to walk was showing con-
siderable backing from other workers and unions, par-
ents, and high school students—who often joined
teachers on the picket lines at many of their schools to
show support.

Secondary students have found themselves on the
covers of newspapers in light of this steaming battle
for public opinion-part of the larger war between the
Liberal government and the workers. Major newspa-
pers refer to the BCTF “taking school children
hostage” as “victims of illegal action.”

At a teachers support rally on October 11, BCTF
president Jinny Sims responded to these allegations,
saying, “There is a difference between breaking the law
and taking action against a law designed to break you.”

More than a dozen high schools in the Lower
Mainland saw student-teacher solidarity actions last
week, including a picket on the first day of the strike at
Templeton Secondary in East Vancouver, where a del-
egation of 20 students dressed in black for a “funeral
for public education.” The action carried double mean-

ing in light of the government’s declaration that the

BCTFE strike is illegal due to teachers being an ‘essen-
tial service, meaning, as one Templeton student put it,
that they were all going to start dying if the teachers
didn’t get back to work.

A week later, Templeton students joined with more
than 350 other students from Richmond to West
Vancouver to rally in support of teachers in
Vancouver. For over four hours, students held signs
and cheered as rush-hour traffic sped along, honking
in support of BC teachers.

According to a press statement by British Columbia
Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclar on
October 14, more than 470,000 fellow workers will
back teachers on Monday in a march on Victoria if the
government does not sit down at the negotiating table.

The momentum driving towards this march on
Victoria was nonetheless indicative of the many labour
battles that have been heating up the province over the
past year. During the summer, business was halted at
the ports by striking truck drivers, followed by the
lockout of workers at Telus and the CBC. Nearly 1,500
Hospital Employees Union workers are currently strik-
ing against the Sodexco cleaning company for better
wages.

Demands for teachers include the democratic right
to collective bargaining (a right that was taken away
through the passing of Bill 12), wage increases, and
better working conditions—meaning better funded and
resourced schools for the province.

 

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