Education

Today I rose in the legislature to give the required two day’s notice that I will bring forward an amendment to the Throne Speech. Delta South Independent MLA Vicki Huntington seconded my notice of motion.

When I speak to the Throne Speech, and subsequently the amendment on Thursday, I will outline an alternative vision for diversified, sustainable, 21^st century economy.

Notice to Amend Motion

Be it resolved that the motion “We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present session,” be amended by adding the following:

And that the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia accepts the responsibility of demonstrating the leadership to choose growth, to move forward and create a legacy for our children, but also recognizes that this leadership means not gambling our future prosperity on a hypothetical windfall from LNG, and instead supports the development of a diversified, sustainable, 21^st century economy.

Media Statement: September 16, 2014
Tentative Agreement Welcome News in Teachers’ Dispute
For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party, welcomes the news of a tentative agreement in the dispute between the B.C. Government and B.C. Teacher’s Federation. While complete details of the agreement have yet to be released, a vote to ratify the deal will likely be held on Thursday, and if accepted by teachers, schools could reopen shortly thereafter.

“This news must come as a huge relief to the teachers, parents and students who only a few days ago saw no end to the dispute” said Andrew Weaver. “I am hopeful students, especially those nearing graduation, will be able to make up for the lost class time. Over the past weeks I have received hundreds of emails, calls and social media posts from across the province by people deeply worried about the state of education in B.C. and I share their concerns. Education should be the government’s priority, not an after-thought”

This dispute, as well as the historical relationship between the BCTF and successive governments, illustrates the need for an ongoing open discussion on the bargaining framework and on how we sustainably prioritize funding for our K-12 education system.

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382

Media Advisory: September 11th, 2014
Binding Arbitration Petition Reaches 25 000 Signature Milestone
For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – A petition released by Green MLA Andrew Weaver on Monday afternoon, which calls on the BC government to accept binding arbitration with the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, has accumulated 25,000 signatures in three days. Weaver has now announced a goal of doubling those signatures to 50,000.

“We initially had a goal of 10,000 signatures. We surpassed that in 24 hours. We then increased that goal to 15,000, but accumulated more than 20,000 by the end of the second day. British Columbians are overwhelmingly voicing their strong desire for an end to the dispute between the B.C. government and the B.C.T.F. We are enabling those voices to be heard,” said Weaver. “Binding arbitration has been overwhelmingly voted for by teachers, and with the current impasse, is clearly the only route to get students and teachers back in classrooms.”

Interim-Leader of the B.C. Green Party Adam Olsen speaks enthusiastically about the impact of Weaver’s work on this issue: “Andrew comes from a professional background in education – he is passionate about the issue and understands what’s at stake when teachers can’t teach, students can’t learn, and parents can’t find adequate childcare for their children. I’m so proud that the B.C. Green Party, through Andrew’s work, has been able to move forward on this issue, pressuring an inactive and unresponsive government to do what’s right, fair and in the clear interest of putting families first.”

Weaver hopes that a petition with 50,000 signatures will make a profound statement about the current bargaining impasse the government is perpetuating by refusing to accept binding arbitration. Once the goal has been reached, he will deliver the petition to Premier Christy Clark and Minister of Education Peter Fassbender.

Note:

We have also been asked to make a available a printable version so that people can collect signatures locally and then mail completed pages back to us.

A downloadable copy is now available

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382

Over the last two weeks I have received many hundreds of emails from the constituents of Oak Bay Gordon Head as well as from ridings across British Columbia. The message is abundantly clear, British Columbians want the government to end the teachers’ labour dispute and get children back in the classroom.

The BCTF opened the door to finding a deal. They agreed to seek binding arbitration, a position I advocated for at the end of August, and one they have never agreed to before. Binding arbitration is a time-tested means of ending labour disputes once face-to-face meetings and mediation have failed. This is clearly the case in the present dispute.

Saturday’s announcement by Minister of Education Peter Fassbender rejecting BCTF’s proposal to seek binding arbitration demonstrates a clear lack of leadership, an inability to compromise and a fundamental lack of support for public education.

But it’s not too late for the government to change their mind. That is why today, in response to your comments and concerns, I put together a petition that I hope you will consider signing.

A downloadable copy is available here.

The petition states:

Whereas a stable and robust public education system is essential for the social, economic and environmental future of the province;

and Whereas there is much to be proud of in our public schools including well-educated, hard-working teachers; parents who advocate passionately for their children; and students who consistently perform strongly in the Programme for International Student Assessment;

and Whereas the education and livelihood of BC children, their parents, their teachers and school support staff and many others throughout BC are being adversely affected by the ongoing labour dispute;

and Whereas the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation has agreed to seek binding arbitration to settle their labour dispute;

and Whereas face to face negotiations and mediation have broken down;

Therefore, be it resolved that the BC government reverse its decision and agree to binding arbitration in order to settle the labour dispute with BC teachers.

Media Statement: September 7th 2014

Government Leadership Lacking in Teacher’s Dispute

For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Yesterday’s announcement by Minister of Education Peter Fassbender rejecting BCTF’s proposal to seek binding arbitration in their ongoing labour dispute demonstrates a clear lack of leadership, an inability to compromise and their fundamental lack of support for public education.

Teachers, students and parents face a second week shut out of classes with absolutely no end in sight. By suggesting binding arbitration, a position Andrew Weaver recommended at the end of August, the BCTF opened the door to finding a deal.

“The government campaigned on reaching a 10-year deal with teachers; they campaigned on putting families first; they campaigned on hyperbolic promises of wealth and prosperity from LNG. But they’ve failed on all three fronts” said Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay Gordon Head. “It’s become clear to me that the government’s campaign promises were nothing more than empty rhetoric. British Columbians deserve better”.

The government’s position that resolution will only be achieved through negotiation belies the fact that over two months have passed with few, if any, substantive talks between parties. Even mediator Vince Ready has pointed out that both sides are too far apart on substantive issues for mediation to proceed.

In response to the Minister’s statement that the BCTF proposal “was another empty effort to give parents and teachers a false hope that there is a simple way to resolve the dispute” Weaver notes that “binding arbitration is a time-tested means of ending labour disputes.” To this Weaver adds “the fact that the government dismissed it suggests that they are not interested in reaching a fair settlement”.

If the government were serious about ending the strike then rather than rejecting binding arbitration out-of-hand they could have agreed to it provided there were no preconditions. Together the government and the BCTF could then have appealed to the Chief Justice of the BC Supreme Court to appoint an arbitrator.

In yesterday’s statement Minister Fassbender claimed that “the BCTF leadership is trying to avoid having the tough conversation with their members about what is realistic and achievable at the bargaining table.” Weaver counters that “in fact it is the government that is trying to avoid having the tough conversation with British Columbians about what it takes to make education of those who will be the drivers of tomorrow’s economy a priority”.

“It is time to end this strike. It’s time to stop playing politics with our children, teachers, and parents” said Andrew Weaver “and it’s not only educators, support staff and families who have lost confidence in this government, there is tangible public anger out there. It’s time for Minister Fassbender and Premier Clark to do what is right, to do what is clearly in the public interest, and to agree to what is really the only fair solution to ending this strike: binding arbitration.”’

Media Contact

Mat Wright – Press Secretary Andrew Weaver MLA
1 250 216 3385
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca