Dear Editor: Why did the government tear up the existing collective agreement over a decade ago?
Were they mean spirited? Do they dislike children? Did they not think of the legal implications? I think not. I believe they tore up the collective agreement because the clauses relating to class size and composition made schools extremely difficult to organize and annually wasted millions of dollars.
I believe the basic issue in the current dispute is, "who runs the B.C. educational system?" This round of bargaining is about power and not about education. The BCTF wants to manage the school system through the terms of the collective agreement. This is wrong! It is a classic example of the inmates running the asylum. It is the people of the province, through the elected government and its employees who have both the responsibility and the accountability to deliver quality public education in the province.
The BCTF seeks to manage education in the province using terms of a collective agreement. Certainly, relaying countless stories about conditions in various classrooms gains public support. This is an easier message for the public to accept than demanding higher salaries and enhancing working conditions. The tactic moves the public to empathize with the BCTF while believing the BCTF's focus is on the students. However, the BCTF's mandate, like other unions, is singularly to better the welfare of its membership. In any other union jurisdiction class size and composition clauses would be counted as job creation clauses.
In spite of the unions mandate it appears the BCTF wants the public to believe that the BCTF is the only party capable of managing the educational system. However, in order to manage the system they also must be accountable both for the outcomes and for the funding required.
This is not within a union's mandate. Conversely, the government is accountable for the quality of the educational system and the fiscal management of that system.
If class size and composition is removed from the bargaining table I believe a settlement to the current dispute will follow quickly. A collective agreement void of class size and composition restrictions is required. Once in place taxpayers must hold the government accountable for the quality of education and for the fiscal management of the system in B.C.
Paul Killeen
North Vancouver NVSD44 assistant superintendent (retired)
