After three days of strike action by teachers across BC, instructors and their students return to classes Thursday.
Union leaders have promised to obey orders from the Labour Relations Board to return to work.
But no decisions have been made on what to do if Bill 22 becomes law.
BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair admits the consequences could be devastating.
He said “In 2005, the teachers were on strike for ten days and the total fine to the teachers was $ 500,000. Today, the fine that’s being proposed would be $ 500,000 for the first 20 minutes and it’s an absurd attack on people.”
Sinclair says the solution is simply to hold legitimate bargaining sessions rather than bullying teachers back to work.
Colline Coe, a teacher who works at Guildford Park Secondary in Surrey, says imposing massive financial penalties will end up costing the government more money in the long run.
She said “One of the things it will do is it will just tie up a huge amount of energy and resources fighting it and I think that’s part of what they want to do is they want to take all our energies and put it elsewhere.”
Her comments are echoed by Tannis Larsen, who teaches adult education at Roberts Education Centre.
She says “I think it’s a violation of our democratic rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
Both teachers say they’re not going to stop fighting, even if Bill 22 becomes law, but the government should be prepared to see many teachers quit their jobs or leave bc to work in other provinces.
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