BCTF
STAHN: One more loss to the teachers strike
I always loved back to school time as a kid. It meant new clothes, new school supplies and getting to see all my friends again after what seemed like forever. This year students have been stripped of that experience and parents have been denied the ability to plan and schedule based on a normal school...
Kamloops teachers back to picket lines
KAMLOOPS - The pickets are back up as we close in on the last week of summer break, and with that the hope of being able to start school on time is dwindling. After a break over the summer, teachers hit the pavement again Monday and plan to be there every day until a deal...
Options for back to school as strike continues
KAMLOOPS - As of Friday morning, B.C. teachers are still on strike and with only three weeks before back to school it’s time to start planning for what to do with your kids if a deal cannot be made before Sept. 2. Monica van der Meulen of the YMCA says the local group will be...
Local school board putting pressure on both sides in teachers strike to settle
PENTICTON - The local school board is writing to provincial education officials urging them to come to a settlement agreement. The board held a special meeting this morning to discuss what information trustees want included in the letter to be sent to the Ministry of Education and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. The idea of a...
ARCHER: Trustees take a stand for students
If you’ve been following the teachers’ strike over the past few weeks, you know negotiations between the provincial government and teachers' federation have not been going… at all, really. We all feel helpless waiting for them to figure it out but think of school board trustees who are used to having some power and control...
Teachers and government ‘not even close’ to a deal
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — There is still a major gap between the teachers' union and the government when it comes to a new collective agreement and the education minister says as it sits the union’s proposal simply is not affordable. “We are not even close to where we need to be to get a negotiated agreement,” Peter...
STAHN: Who the strike is really hurting
‘This is not the way I wanted it to end.’ It’s a line I heard over and over again during the teacher strike. It’s applicable to both retiring teachers and the students who saw their school year end with less than 24 hours notice. Many of the students, abruptly told last Thursday would be their...
SD23 provincial exams will continue as planned
KELOWNA – For students in School District 23, the teacher’s strike has cast a cloud of uncertainty over how their year will end. SD23 Superintendant Hugh Gloster says regardless of whether or not the dispute is resolved, provincial final exams will go ahead as planned and all students will likely receive some form of report...
Teachers agree to full strike
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — More than 28,000 B.C. teachers voted in support of moving to a full strike, a move that could come as early as next week. In total more than 33,000 teachers took part in the vote Monday and Tuesday, with 86 per cent voting in support of stage three action. “Thank you for standing...
Full strike could begin Tuesday, no school Monday
OKANAGAN - This week could be the last week of school for many students, the teachers’ union announced this morning it will be moving to a full strike beginning Tuesday unless a deal can be reached on the collective agreement. An email was sent to teachers Thursday night and quickly news spread on social media....
Teacher strike hits childrens’ festival where it hurts
"WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN IN THIS SITUATION." KELOWNA - Organizers of a West Kelowna childrens' festival are worried the ongoing dispute between the BCTF and the province will hurt attendance at the 8th annual Interior Savings Fat Cat Children's Festival this weekend. Artistic director Dorothee Birker says teachers bringing kids...
Teachers on twitter: Strike news shared on social media
PENTICTON - Teachers across the province began striking this morning for better wages and smaller class sizes, among other reasons. The rotating strike is an effort to move along negotiations with the province. Here's a look at what teachers, parents and students have been saying on social media: %%Embed1%% To contact the reporter for this...