B.C. teachers have voted 89 per cent in favour of job action.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation said 26,051 teachers voted in favour. In all, 29,301 teachers across the province cast ballots.
“With this vote, B.C. teachers have sent a very clear message to the B.C. government: it’s time to negotiate in good faith, take back the unreasonable proposals, and offer teachers a fair deal that also provides better support for students,” said Jim Iker, president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation.
Teachers have 90 days to initiate some kind of job action. There are no immediate plans for job action, Iker said.
“There will be no job action tomorrow, there will be no job action next week,” he said. The outcome “will depend entirely on what is happening at the negotiating table and whether or not the government and employers’ association are prepared to be fair and reasonable.”
The three-day vote, which concluded Thursday, came as the BCTF and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association, the government’s bargaining agent, continued talks.
An estimated 44,000 teachers were eligible to take part in the vote.
Teachers have been without a contract since June 2013. Outstanding issues include wages, class size and class composition.
