CUPW SUPPORTS BC’S TEACHERS
Last week the Provincial Minister of Education tabled back-to-work legislation against the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Like CUPW, Teachers were never given the opportunity to negotiate a collective agreement. Teachers have been engaged in work to rule and unstrike action since the beginning of this school year, however, the Liberal Government of Christy Clark have refused to move on any substantive issues.
Workers cannot just sit back and accept this behaviour from our elected representatives. For one we must stop voting for the representatives of the 1 %. More importantly we must stand up and record our dissent when Unions are forced to return to work and have their collective bargaining rights stripped away.The legislation extends a “net-zero” mandate. That means that teachers will be forced to take pay cuts in order to pay for the growth in the school system.
The B. C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and the B. C. Federation of Labour announced they will be holding a Rally at the B. C. Legislature next week.
“Teachers are tremendously heartened by the solidarity and support we have felt coming from union members all across B. C.”, said BCTF President Susan Lambert. “People understand that Bill 22 threatens the quality of public education for their children and grandchildren. It’s just the latest example of this government’s assault on all public services in B. C.”
“Bill 22 impacts all workers”, said B. C. Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair. “When the right to free collective bargaining is under attack, all unions will stand together to defend that right.”
Sinclair noted the government still has an opportunity to withdraw Bill 22 and start real negotiations with teachers. “Real solutions to improving our public education system can only come through negotiation, not legislation.”
POSTAL WORKERS WILL BE IMPACTED
Similar to the situation in 2005, when teachers were on strike, services in many communities may be impacted in the coming days. In 2005, many postal workers received a 5-day suspension for honouring picket lines. This suspension was reduced by arbitration to 2 days for employees who did not report for work at all but were not active on any picket line.
With the normal bad faith tricks and procedural objections, Canada Post Labour Relations have filibustered and prevented the Union from completing the final portion of the arbitration, however, we know that there is a 3rd category of employees who should not have received discipline for their activities in the teachers’ strike.
IF THERE IS A PICKET LINE AT YOUR WORKSITE
In Arbitrator Lanyon’s decision of February 20, 2006, he stated the following:
“Therefore those employees who showed up to work, approached the picket line and decided not to cross the picket line for whatever reason, left the site, did not participate in the illegal work stoppage in any other way, phoned the Employer, and made themselves available for work, may not have taken “all reasonable steps to report to work”, but they have, I conclude, taken sufficient steps to at least substantially mitigate the discipline imposed. Therefore, I reduce the discipline imposed upon these employees to a written reprimand. (They, of course, lose pay for time not actually worked.)
Since we work in CUPW we should not be crossing any picket lines. Therefore, postal workers are hereby advised, during the teachers’ strike, to prepare for work, report for work and should there be a picket line, follow the above steps stated by Arbitrator Lanyon in order to avoid serious discipline.
THE 2006 DECISION
From evidence gathered at the time, very few CUPW members qualified under the above category to avoid the 2-day suspension. We have attempted to identify these employees with the employer and they have totally disregarded our statements in each and every case. They want to force days of hearings to clear up the 40 or so employees who should not have received these suspensions. We worked in good faith with the employer in 2006 to resolve the situation, however, this was never returned and the employer fought everything we attempted to do.
This time, the Union will be filing individual grievances for each and every incident that occurs to prevent the employer from hiding in the group grievances and refusing to act reasonably. They will have to hear each and every case next time so that they cannot avoid their responsibility to justify their onerous discipline. We will continue to attempt to resolve the final few cases still left over from 2006 as well in the next year. We will be again contacting Arbitrator Lanyon to complete this arbitration.
As postal workers we have had a very harsh year. We have been legislated back. We had final offer arbitration imposed and lost significant pay and benefits in the past 9 months. However, as trade union members we must always remember.
An Injury to One is an Injury to All
In solidarity,
John Bail
National Director
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