The first line in virtually every unionized contract, regardless of whether it's for public or private sector employees, is the line "management has the right to manage" or a variation of that phrase that means the same thing.
Basically what it means is that management can do what it wants in regards to running the business, so long as those decisions don't violate all of the clauses in the rest of the contract in regards to worker responsibilities, working conditions, how much they will be paid, when they will get raises and how much, when their hours of work will be, when overtime kicks in and so on.
The decision by the B.C. Court of Appeal this week to overturn two previous court victories by the B.C. Teachers Federation over the provincial government is a recognition of "management has the right to manage." In other words, the judges found that the previous judge erred by finding fault in the way the teachers and the education system were managed. The quality of the management is not up for assessment, only that management, in this case the provincial government, was entitled to make decisions about class size and composition without input from teachers.
The BCTF plans to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada but there's no guarantee the top court will even agree to hear the case, never mind be willing to overturn a decision from B.C.'s highest court.
The teachers are right to be angry. They have been treated terribly for decades by successive provincial governments, not just the Liberals but also the NDP before them and Social Credit before them. Their righteousness about what's best for students, however, doesn't mean they have the right to dictate education policy and spending to government.
The Liberals have been remarkably consistent when it comes to their approach to education over the past decade and a half, and there are no signs that approach is changing. At the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels with colleges, universities and trade and technology institutes, the government has put a cap on new spending and funding levels per student, and then told school boards and administrators to make due.
In Fort St. John and other rural school districts, that means charging for school bus service to rural areas. School District 57 in Prince George has kicked the tires on doing the same here. At the College of New Caledonia, it's cuts to counselling, daycare services and the dental program. At UNBC, it's holding the line on pay for faculty, driving them to the picket line. The same cuts to staff and programs CNC has made are inevitable at UNBC.
At the post-secondary level, schools have fund development offices made up of staff that pursue business, community and alumni support to pay for equipment, supplies and student financial support. Tonight's Global Gourmet Gala at CNC and last month's Bob Ewert benefit dinner and lecture for the Northern Medical Programs Trust are two high-profile annual events of work that continue all year long.
The same model of fundraising to provide additional money is already well-established in health care as well, with the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
At the elementary and secondary school level, districts aren't in the professional fundraising business yet, leaving those efforts to volunteers, be they teachers, students or parent advisory councils. Perhaps it's time for a Spirit of the North Education Foundation that would professionally raise funds to pay for playgrounds, libraries and other essentials the education ministry seems unwilling to fund.
Earlier this week, The Citizen's education reporter, Samantha Wright Allen, reported on how school staff want to increase the use of tablets in classrooms to support education. With districts increasingly having to devote provincial funding to pay for only the essentials (staff and buildings), the day seems to be here when parents, school trustees and residents concerned about properly equipped elementary and secondary schools need to get serious about fundraising. Post-secondary institutions do it in house, while health authorities do it at arm's length through a foundation. Either way, both have adapted to the new reality.
