Kamloops

Cold weather and wind move in

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Pull the scarves and gloves back out, the cold weather is back and by tonight much of the region will be at least 10 degrees lower than seasonal normals. According to Environment Canada, temperatures will drop to -10 Celsius by this afternoon in Kamloops and winds will increase to 50 gusting to 70...

School trips cancelled because of strike

KAMLOOPS - Grade 5-7 students around the district have been looking forward to year end camping trips but this year many of them have been cancelled because of the teacher strike. Several schools have cancelled year-end camping trips to Eagle Bay Camp because of the strike upsetting students and their parents who helped raise money...

Teacher strikes to continue next week

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — If you have kids, be prepared to find alternate plans next week because the teachers’ union has announced a second week of rotating strikes, set to take place next week. Students in the Central and North Okanagan School Districts (SD23 and SD83) will be home Monday, June 2. On Tuesday, the strikes rotate...

Teachers strike in Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Day three of rotating strikes across the province had teachers in Kamloops hitting the pavement in an effort to move along contract negotiations with the provincial government. The B.C. Teachers Federation announced last week it would stage rotating strikes this week after the province refused to negotiate on classroom size and other key...

District track meet cancelled amid strike action

KAMLOOPS — When it was announced teachers were moving on to strike action the Kamloops-Thompson School District moved the district track meet up a day so it could still go ahead. Sunday evening it was announced the track meet is now cancelled. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation announced teachers would take level one job action back...

UPDATE: Teacher strikes begin Monday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers announced today they will conduct a rotating strike next week in an effort to move along negotiations with the province. The strike begins Monday, May 26 in School District 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and will be followed by the Central Okanagan (SD23) and North Okanagan-Shuswap (SD83) districts Tuesday. On Wednesday, May 28 teachers...

Teacher negotiations moved forward

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — The province announced Thursday it would remove the 10-year term from the table and the teachers’ union president says it’s a relief to finally see it off the table. “It shows the government is willing to get more serious about it and we are happy about that,” B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Jim Iker...

Teachers have choice to attend grad, field trips

KAMLOOPS — Superintendent Terry Sullivan has been dealing with calls from irate parents as teachers announce cancelled school events and he wants to make it very clear, the district has not prohibited their participation, the choice to take part is up to each teacher. “We’re not cancelling anything,” Sullivan says. “If teachers are supervising the...

Westsyde students among those walking out Wednesday

KAMLOOPS - Students are sick of being played as pawns and at least a handful of students at Westsyde Secondary will protest Wednesday morning in an effort to get both sides of the labour dispute to think about the students stuck in the middle. “This walkout is to tell both the government and the teachers...

Less than 1% of Kamloops secondary students walkout

KAMLOOPS - Only about 50 secondary students were absent from Kamloops schools today during a province-wide student walkout—a pretty average number on any given day in the school district—but today most were protesting. Superintendent Terry Sullivan says between 47-50 secondary students, across three schools, and seven or eight elementary age students were absent today and...

IN PHOTOS: Teacher rally draws hundreds

KAMLOOPS - By the time noon hour was over more than 300 people had gathered at the foot of the Overlanders Bridge to show support for teachers and hundreds more showed support by honking and waving as they drove by. Kamloops Thompson Teacher's Association President Jason Karpuk says while not surprised, he was happy with...

Teachers set for third week of rotating strikes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN — Teachers in B.C. are preparing for a third week of rotating strikes and they will also decide early next week whether they launch a full strike before the end of the school year. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation announced Thursday afternoon rotating strikes will take place Tuesday through Friday next week. In school districts...

What parents need to know about the teacher strike

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Teachers in B.C. voted overwhelmingly in favour of moving to a full strike if contract negotiations continue to stall and that could mean an early summer break for some students and limited report cards for others. The history of non-agreement between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the...

This could be last day of school in Kamloops

FULL STRIKE LAUNCHED KAMLOOPS — The teachers’ union appears headed to a full strike beginning Tuesday and with a ‘study session’ planned for Monday and a rotating strike day Friday, that means today is potentially the last day of school for many students in Kamloops. An email was sent to teachers Thursday night and quickly...

Reactions to full teacher strike vary

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Earlier this week teachers voted to move to a full strike if necessary and Thursday morning the teachers' union gave the necessary 72 hours notice. If an agreement is not reached by the end of the day Monday teachers will begin a full strike Tuesday, June 17. Monday was declared a study session....