B.C. teachers' strike to continue for 2nd week

B.C. teachers will continue rotating strike action for a second week, the B.C. Teachers' Federation has confirmed, as closed-door negotiations continue with government representatives.

• BCTF Week 1 strike schedule and lockout information
• Scroll down for the new Week 2 strike schedule and the full letter

B.C.'s 41,000 teachers began staging rotating one-day strikes affecting every district in the province this week.

In a press release issued Wednesday afternoon, federation president Jim Iker said more rotating one-day strikes will take place provincewide on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week.

“B.C. teachers are committed to negotiating a fair and reasonable settlement at the bargaining table,” said Iker.

“That agreement, however, needs to include adequate funding to make improvements to important learning conditions, which are teachers’ working conditions."

Any further escalation of the job action, such as a full strike, would likely require a vote of support from the union's membership first.

The government has also issued a partial lockout notice, restricting the amount of time teachers can spend at schools during non-teaching hours.

The Teachers' Federation says the lockout prevents teachers from taking part in extracurricular activities such as graduation ceremonies because of liability issues, but the government says that is not the case.

Negotiations continue 

Meanwhile, contract negotiations continued behind closed doors Wednesday. Key issues include wages and class size and composition.

Teachers are asking for a 15.9 per cent increase over four years. Government is offering 7.25 per cent over six years plus a signing bonus.

Premier Christy Clark said the face-to-face negotiations are the best hope for a resolution.

"The less time the parties spend in the room bargaining the longer this is going to take. I hope we could could get this settled in 24 hours, 48 hours, if people would sit down, decide not to strike," said Clark on Tuesday.

But in his Wednesday press release, Iker said it's up to the government to make the next move at the negotiating table.

"Teachers know that bargaining is about compromise, but we cannot be the only ones expected to move. Collective bargaining is about compromise and moving forwards, not backwards," he said.

"It’s time for Premier Christy Clark to free up the resources that will bring the two sides closer together."

Week 2 teachers' strike schedule

Monday, June 2

#20 - Kootenay-Columbia

#23 - Central Okanagan

#27 - Cariboo-Chilcotin

#35 -Langley

#37 - Delta

#38 - Richmond

#42 - Maple Ridge

#52 - Prince Rupert

#59 - Peace River South

#63 - Saanich

#68 - Nanaimo

#70 - Alberni

#83 - North Okanagan-Shuswap

Tuesday, June 3

#10 - Arrow Lakes

#19 - Revelstoke

#22 - Vernon

#33 - Chilliwack

#36 - Surrey

#41 - Burnaby

#44 - North Vancouver

#45 - West Vancouver

#46 - Sunshine Coast

#57 - Prince George

#58 - Nicola Similkameen

#64 - Gulf Islands

#71 - Comox

#79 - Cowichan Valley

#81 - Fort Nelson

Thursday, June 5

#8 - Kootenay Lake

#34 - Abbotsford

#43 - Coquitlam

#47 - Powell River

#50 - Haida Gwaii

#51 - Boundary

#53 - Okanagan Similkameen

#54 - Bulkley Valley

#60 - Peace River North

#61 - Greater Victoria

#69 - Qualicum

#73 - Kamloops Thompson

#84 - Vancouver Island West

#91 - Nechako Lakes

#92 - Nisga’a

Friday, June 6

#5 - Southeast Kootenay

#6 - Rocky Mountain

#28 - Quesnel

#39 - Vancouver

#40 - New Westminster

#48 - Sea to Sky

#49 - Central Coast

#62 - Sooke

#67 - Okanagan Skaha

#72 - Campbell River

#74 - Gold Trail

#75 - Mission

#78 - Fraser-Cascade

#82 - Coast Mountains

#85 - Vancouver Island North

#87 - Stikine

​School District #93, Conseil Scolaire Francophone, schools will be closed with others in their local communities throughout the week.

Click here for the Week 1 strike schedule.