B.C. government asks court to suspend parts of teachers contract ruling

VANCOUVER – The B.C. government is seeking to stay parts of a court ruling that said the province violated teachers’ bargaining rights.

The attorney general’s office says in a news release that it has filed notice and 10 affidavits supporting its request for a stay of proceedings.

The court ruling said legislation introduced in 2012 that removed class size and composition from contract negotiations was unconstitutional, and that the Liberal government tried to provoke a strike during negotiations.

The judge awarded the B.C. Teachers’ Federation $2 million and struck down the legislation.

The ruling also said the teachers’ union would be permitted to release its written closing arguments, which had been under a sealing order due to references to cabinet documents.

Education Minister Peter Fassbender announced last week that his government will appeal the ruling.