Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
News
Education
BC Politics

Updated: As Strike Continues, Teacher Bargaining Facilitator Steps Aside

Ministry yet to respond to union request for mediation.

Katie Hyslop 20 Jun 2014TheTyee.ca

Katie Hyslop reports on education and youth issues for The Tyee Solutions Society. Follow her on Twitter @kehyslop.

Both the BC Teachers' Federation and the Ministry of Education confirmed facilitator Mark Brown, who has sat at the bargaining table since talks began in February 2013, stepped down last night after the union officially requested mediator Vince Ready yesterday to help both sides reach a deal.

Spokespersons for both parties confirmed Brown's resignation, but neither Minister Peter Fassbender nor union President Jim Iker was available for comment. CKNW is reporting Iker has already had a phone conversation with Ready and that Fassbender had confirmed Brown had "booked out of talks, saying he felt he had lost the confidence of the union."

But a union spokesperson said Brown's departure is normal as "one process is over and we're asking for a new process to begin, which is mediation." *This afternoon, the BC Public School Employers' Association released a letter from interim CEO Mike Roberts expressing concern the call for a mediator is more about "public relations rather than a genuine desire for successful mediation."

Roberts went on to say both Minister Fassbender and Peter Cameron had asked Iker to call Cameron, but as of the letter's publication Iker had not called.** Roberts indicated the employers' are open to involving a mediator, whether it's Ready or someone else.

"The BC Public School Employers' Association supports getting a mediator involved in the dispute -- and the sooner the better," read the statement.

The union president was not available to comment on the letter, but a spokesperson union said Iker did speak to both Cameron and Fassbender about mediation today.

Who's the mediator?

Ready, a freelance mediator most recently brought in to reach a settlement between the provincial and federal governments and truckers in the Port of Metro Vancouver truckers strike in March, has worked with the teachers' union before.

In 2005, the province appointed him as industrial inquiry commissioner to design a new teacher bargaining process, only to have him put that project on hold to help facilitate an agreement between the union and government during the teachers' illegal two-week strike in October 2005.

Ready's report came out in 2007, but few of his proposed changes were adopted, including both parties establishing a common understanding of all data surrounding collective bargaining including the total cost of compensation and benefits, teacher demographics, and labour issues.

Data has been a point of contention for both sides during the current bargaining, particularly when it comes to class size and composition and the number of oversized classes in the province. Neither side has been able to agree on how much the other is proposing for salary and benefits would cost the province, either.

Brown hasn't left bargaining behind just yet. He is still required to write a report for both parties regarding the process so far. The union couldn't confirm the status of that report. The Tyee reached out to both Ready and Brown and is still waiting for a response. The employers' association said Ready is out of town until next week and is unsure of his schedule thereafter.

The teachers' union is currently on its fourth day of a province-wide walkout after 17 months of bargaining with its employer failed to reach a negotiated collective agreement.

Public school classes across the province have been cancelled, but provincial exams have been going ahead as part of an essential services order by the B.C. Labour Relations Board.

*Updated to include statement from BCPSEA at 4:30 p.m.

**Story corrected June 21 at 10:30 p.m.  [Tyee]

Read more: Education, BC Politics

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Think Naheed Nenshi Will Win the Alberta NDP Leadership Race?

Take this week's poll