Dear Editor:
The suggestion that a labour dispute between the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers Association is less likely under an NDP government (Class Warfare, June 29, North Shore News) not only lacks premise, but also ignores the history of the BCTF's attitude towards the provincial government - no matter which party is in charge.
The last time the B.C. teachers were legislated back to work was in 1998, when then-Minister of Labour Moe Sihota (BC-NDP) unceremoniously forced teachers back into the classroom for the second time that decade. At the time, former BC-NDP leader Carole James was the president of the B.C. School Trustees Association.
Unfortunately, by resorting to unnecessary party politics, your editorial on the future of teachers' labour disputes in B.C. misses the mark by exonerating the constant antagonist as a non-actor. The fact is that the BCTF is a militant trade union that will not play nice or be reasonable with the provincial government, no matter who is in charge.
Mo Amir North Vancouver
