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Now spotlight: 20

April 3, 1991

Union protest intensifies over NV District 44 refusal | to implement contract

THE NORTH Vancouver Teachers’ Association (NVIA) will ask the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) to declare North Vancouver's School District 44 ‘in dispute,” union

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

Southern Straits AQUILA’s COLORFUL orange and yellow spinnaker brightens up the drizzly grey scene that saw 103 yachts set sail off Dundarave pier Friauay for the Southern Straits Classic. Aquila‘s skipper Glen McDonald and crew prepare for the long course followed by the yacht Mad Max,

skippered by Wink Vogel. This is the 23rd year the West Vancouver Yacht Club has held the sailing race. See story pace 11.

president Linda Watson said Tuesday.

The union's decision, she said, was part of escalating teacher pro- tests against the provincial gov- ernment’s controversial Bill 82 and the North Vancouver District

44 School Board’s (NVSB) refusal to implement the first year of a two-year ccllective agreement reached recently be-

tween the teachers’ union and the board.

The BCTF has been holding its annual convention in Vancouver this week.

“An in-dispute declaration means that working conditions and labor reiations in the district are such that teachers are advised not to apply for teaching positions in North Vancouver,’’ Watson said. “If approved by the BCTF, this message would go out to all Canadian Teachers’ Federations affiliates across the country.”

In addition, North Vancouver teachers will withdraw from par- ticipating on education ministry marking teams for provincial ex- ams, said Watson.

Bill 82 allows wage control commissioner Ed Lien to roll back any public sector collective agreements signed after Jan. 29 if he considers the terms of the agreements to be excessive.

The NVTA and the NVSB reached a two-year collective agreement in February that gave teachers a seven per cent wage in- crease over the term of the con- tract.

But the NVSB, along with six other school boards, has refused fo implement the first year of the contract, which is retroactive to 1990, until Lien has reviewed the deal.

NVSB chairman Marg Jessup said that under the terms of Bill 82 it would be illegal for the board to implement the collective agreement until it has been ap- proved by Lien.

But Watson said Norih Van- couver teachers will withdraw from all education ministry com- mittees and task forces and will suspend all activities it has with the ministry.

On Thursday, North Vancouver teachers returned all of their Year 2000 education binders to the board to protest pill 82.

In addition, Watson said her membership will refuse to par- ticipate in school accreditation or school assessment programs.

By Surj Ratian News Reporter

The BCTF met behind closed doors this week to discuss ways to Protest Bill §2.

One of the actions considered by the BCTF was a one-day strike

6a 1f and when the government provides the resources ... we will again participate. 99

— Union president Linda Watson

across the province by B.C. teachers. “These are all temporary

suspensions of our involvement,” Watson said. ‘If and when the government provides the resources to make these activities wor- thwhile, we will again par- ticipate.’”

Last week, Watson said the

NVTA was considering taking legal action against the District 44 board if the school board refused to implement the first year of the coHective agreement ‘immediate- ly.” “Bill 82’s attack on negotiated settlements is profound. First, the government unilaterally deter- mines a school board’s ability to pay by setting anu inadequate budget, then Bil] 82 steps in tc let the commissioner rule on all fi- nancial parts of the collective agreement, including the class size and new curriculum provisions that we worked so hard over many months to achieve,’? Wat- son said.

She added that her union has asked the NYSB to submit a budget to the education ministry that “‘reflects the real costs of managing the district.””

“*We asked the board to take a stand with us on these issues. We asked them to fulfil their mandate as the trustees of public education for North Vancouver students. They declined,”’ said Watson.

She added that the NVTA, ata recent meeting, passed a motion of non-confidence in the NVSB, superintendent Robin Brayne and the District 44 administration.