BCTF’s spokesman Jim Iker says “the government needs to back off the 10 year contract scheme, offer fair increases, and improve class size/composition. Peter Cameron (Government chief negotiator) has not been empowered to make the big moves it will take to get a deal.”

Cameron says he’s not about to sacrifice the province’s stellar credit rating on salary demands that are four times higher than most other public-sector unions.

“The government may resort to measures next week to convince teachers that their demands can’t be met” says Cameron

He says teachers want salary and cost-of-living increases that add up to 13.5 per cent over three years, while the government has tabled increases of 7.25 per cent over six years.

Teachers launched their first phase of job action, which includes refusing to supervise students outside classrooms or communicating in writing with administrators.

BC Teachers Federation president Jim Iker says that besides wages, the government is refusing to budge on a proposed 10-year contract and class size and composition matters.

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“School administrators and district staff are covering supervision. Some district meetings will have to be cancelled.” says Bev Young School District 53 Superintendent.

Silvia Slater – SOS Teachers Union – “Teachers here will struggle in the same way as their colleagues around the province as they find it difficult to do any kind of job action.

But teachers are frustrated with the deteriorating working and learning conditions that exist and have great concerns as to what further cuts will have to be made to balance budgets in an underfunded system. How much worse will it get? The Stage 1 plan is consistent for teachers around the province; how Boards deal with it may differ.”