North Vancouver teachers have no immediate plans to follow West Vancouvers lead in suspending extracurricular volunteer work but that could change after Spring Break, according to the union.
Speaking to the North Shore News Tuesday, North Vancouver Teachers Association president Daniel Storms confirmed that a West Vancouver-style bell-to-bell initiative had been discussed by members at a meeting last week, but that no motion had been tabled. For now, the association is taking a wait-and-see approach to the issue, he said.
Were still in a holding pattern, said Storms. Its a little bit of a hedge at this point: Is this the best strategy?
Representatives will have a clearer idea once they have heard from the BCTF at the provincial organizations annual general meeting slated for this weekend and after the North Vancouver local has consulted more fully with its members, he said.
It doesnt mean there isnt that grassroots support here, it just means it may not have mobilized its way up into our organizational structures, said Storms.
Its hard to say whether the local would support the initiative if it were put to a vote, he said, as opinions at last weeks meeting were mixed.
The West Vancouver Teachers Association announced Friday it was advising members to suspend volunteer involvement in all programs outside of school hours through to the end of the 2012-13 school year to protest the provinces Bill 22. The legislation, if passed, will end all strike action for six months and appoint a mediator to negotiate a new teachers contract within strict guidelines. It forbids the mediator from considering any proposals that would limit class size or increase costs to the employer.
The teachers action could impact activities ranging from sports tournaments to field trips to graduation ceremonies.
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