Close to 300 teachers and supporters gathered at the Highway 17 overpass in Ladner Monday afternoon in a mass rally.
It was the biggest and loudest rally held at the overpass during the ongoing bitter contract dispute with government as a full-scale strike starting Tuesday appears imminent.
Several teachers at the gathering expressed frustration that things have gotten to this point, saying it demonstrates a lack of good bargaining faith on the part of government and its negotiating arm, the B.C. Public School Employers' Association.
The teachers filled the overpass and also lined both sides of the street, waving at many motorists honking in support.
Negotiations between the government and its teachers appeared to collapse today, with both sides accusing each other of misleading the public about their contract proposals.
The government's chief negotiator, Peter Cameron, said B.C. Teachers Federation president Jim Iker is deliberately misrepresenting the bargaining sessions and is more interested in a communications strategy than negotiations.
Iker said the teachers union presented an offer to the province on Friday, but didn't hear back from Victoria until 48 hours later, on Sunday night.
Far apart on wages, as well as class size and composition, both sides agreed a full-scale province-wide strike is imminent.
Premier Christy Clark on the weekend said she has ordered Education Minister Peter Fassbender to rebuild the bargaining system with teachers.
Fassbender’s mandate includes the minister presenting options to cabinet on ways to restructure collective bargaining with the BCTF within the next year.
Fassbender said he’s already started researching the issue.
