School is back.
BCTF president Jim Iker announced Thursday night that teachers voted 86 per cent to ratify a six-year deal with the provincial government. The vote ends the longest provincewide strike in B.C. history and one of the bitterest labour conflicts in recent memory that left half a million students out of the classroom.
"Your strength on the picket lines and your passion for our profesion helped us make the gains this week that were not possible at any other point over the last three months, said Iker in a press conference.
The BCTF president said schools will be open Monday in most districts across the province. There was no information on the start of school on School District 57's website after the vote as of press time. Superintendent Brian Pepper told The Citizen Wednesday the district would wait on the results of Thursday night's vote before making a decision.
The deal includes a 7.25 per cent salary increase. It also features: improvements in extended health and dental benefits; the creation of hundreds of new teaching positions annually; strikes out the contentious E80 clause around class size and composition; and includes a process to address future court decisions, the Canadian Press reported.
Iker admitted the deal, concluded after a six-day bargaining session with the representatives of the provincial government and veteran mediator Vince Ready, was not perfect. Nevertheless, of the 31,741 teachers who voted, 27,275 agreed to the new collective agreement.
The teachers' last contract expired in June 2013.
"To our members, our teachers, proud members of the BCTF: Thank you," said Iker. "This was a very tough round of negotiations and a difficult time for many of us on strike
but together we have successfully pushed back against concessions and have emerged a stronger and more engaged union."
