North Shore teachers, banned from picketing, gathered at protest sites outside North and West Vancouver public schools Monday in the opening hours of a three-day province-wide walkout.
The instructors, carrying what they were careful to call posters, launched the protests at dawn and maintained them throughout the day to voice their displeasure at the provinces plans to legislate an end to their six-month labour dispute. While they refused to enter classrooms, the teachers did not prevent administrators or members of other unions from accessing schools. The move was in accordance with a Labour Relations Board ruling last week that deemed job action legal, but which banned pickets.
Its a fine line, but theyre not obstructing anyone from entering or leaving the buildings, said West Vancouver Teachers Association president Robert Millard. Its more like a demonstration.
The schools were technically open, but they were staffed by only a small number of non-teaching employees. The North and West Vancouver school districts both strongly advised parents not to bring kids in, although they said administrators would supervise any students who did make an appearance.
The walkout was launched in response to the provinces Bill 22, a piece of legislation that will force a six-month suspension of all job action and appoint a mediator to negotiate a deal between the BCTF and the employer within certain strict guidelines. Until this week, the teachers strike action had been limited to refusing non-classroom duties, most notably the writing of report cards.
Speaking Monday afternoon, Millard said the protest had so far met with a positive response.
Its been great, he said. Whenever you start one of these things, you never know how the public is going to take it, but . . . its all been positive; nobodys got into an argument.
Daniel Storms, Millards North Vancouver counterpart, made similar comments.
There has been really, really amazing parent support, he said. Parents have come out with baking, with coffee; theyve come out and hung out with teachers at different locations. That has really lifted peoples spirits.
The LRB said last week that teachers could stay off the job for three days consecutively and then for one school day in five after that, but that plan will end abruptly if and when Bill 22, tabled last Thursday, becomes law. It remains unclear how long that might take. The legislative assembly continued to debate it Monday.
Even if the bill passes, however, teachers could conceivably take further action. At a meeting Thursday night, West Vancouver association members discussed the possibility of suspending all unpaid participation in extracurricular programs, said Millard.
The move could disrupt activities ranging from drama clubs to athletic events.
The topic came up, and we had a good discussion, he said, emphasizing it was an idea being contemplated by members, not the union or the local itself.
Storms said he had heard similar talk in North Vancouver, but that the local would not make any move on that front without wide consultation with members. Even then, it would likely take the form of a recommendation to members, rather than any kind of imperative, he said.
West Vancouver teachers were planning to hold a larger demonstration in Ambleside Tuesday afternoon.
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