A nearly year-long impasse at the bargaining table between teachers and the province may see an end this month when a fact finder delivers his report on the situation and its possibility for a resolution.
On Feb. 9, fact finder Trevor Hughes was appointed by Margaret MacDiarmid, Minister of Labour Citizens' Services and Open Government, to find out what is the likelihood of a negotiated settlement between the B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF) and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association (BCPSEA).
Hughes is the deputy minister for Industrial Relations.
Education Minister George Abbott asked for the assessment, saying he is concerned the two parties cannot move forward in the bargaining process and pen any kind of agreement.
"March 1 will be the one-year anniversary of negotiations. I have grown increasingly pessimistic about a successful outcome of those discussions," Abbott said during a press conference Feb. 9 announcing the appointment of Hughes. "We've always hoped that somehow, despite the challenging nature of net-zero mandate and the [BCTF's] opposition to that net-zero mandate, that somehow there would be some common ground found and some movement forward. That does not appear to have been the case."
He said he's unsure what Hughes may come up with, but he's not optimistic a negotiated settlement can be agreed upon.
"He may simply be in a position where he's confirming what is anticipated or feared at this point, which is that there is no prospect of a settlement on this based on the mandates of net-zero. That may well be what he comes back with," Abbott said. "That having been said, I think this is as clear a signal as I can give to the parties that the present situation is unacceptable, that there needs to be some remedy of this situation and perhaps that will uncover some elements of disposition that previously haven't."
Sunshine Coast Teachers' Association president Louise Herle said the teachers were surprised by the move last week and called its validity into question.
"The Minister [MacDiarmid] could have chosen an independent formal process using services of one of the many respected neutral mediators but did not. Instead, she selected one of her own direct employees," Herle said.
She said teachers called multiple times for an independent mediator to help with bargaining issues and they feel that the fact finder has been put in place to push the teachers toward an imposed contract.
"The BCTF and teachers will engage fully with the process that has been initiated by the Labour Minister, but we do have deep concerns that this process may well be predetermined," Herle said. "We hope that this is a genuine process, but we worry that it is simply designed to pave the way to an imposed contract."
Once Hughes gives his report on the situation to government, which is expected within two weeks, Herle said teachers will determine their next steps.
"We'll have to be calm and collected, and we will calculate our response once we see what comes back from this report. And if indeed there is a legislated contract, what is it? Are there concessions? Is it a roll over? What are they offering us to improve this public education system?" Herle said.
Hughes has been with the Labour Ministry since October 2008. Before signing on with the Ministry, Hughes had 16 years of experience with direct collective bargaining and labour relations in the public sector.
Hughes will meet with the parties over the next two weeks and provide a report to MacDiarmid, by Thursday, Feb. 23.
