News From the Past - 1981 to 1992
1981/82
Cliff Paluck: President (25% release time)
Doris Carey: Past President
Lida Plummer: Secretary
Ben Warkentin: Treasurer
Bud Buckle: Agreements Chairperson
David Wall: Agreements Committee
JOINT HOUSING COMMITTEE
A Joint Housing Committee was established to consider solutions to the problem of inadequate and expensive housing in some parts of School District No. 1. An area of particular concern is the housing situation in Elkford. In November, at least six teachers at Elkford Elementary School are considering the termination of their assignments because of high rental costs.
RESTRAINT PROGRAM
Old/new executive members met with Mr. Coffin, Superintendent of Schools, and Mr. Van Eynde, Secretary-Treasurer, on Wednesday, June 9th to discuss budget reductions. The FDTA has struck an ad hoc committee that will work over the summer months developing strategies for responding to the restraint program.
PRESIDENT'S RELEASE TIME
At the June 9th meeting with Mr. Coffin, it was stated that the president's release time should be covered by a part-time teacher rather than a substitute teacher. This may mean a small increase in our association's membership fees.
1982/83
Bill Fite: President
Ted Makar: Pro D
Jan Makar: Status of Women
Joe Jamison: Treasurer
Kate Noakes: Secretary
Cliff Hatelid: Bargaining Chairperson
FISCAL RESTRAINT PLAN FROM SCHOOL BOARD
August 31 meeting resulted in the School Board presenting the following five options:
- Salary rollback of 7%
- Less teaching days with no pay for days off
- Termination
- Combination of the above
- No Action
BILL 89
This fiscal restraint bill was introduced in September 1982. The legislation does away with all paid non-instructional days. Teachers lose twice in 1983. First, five days are deducted from salaries by the shortening of the school year in June. Secondly, teachers will work longer days to make up for the ones that are lost in June.
TIGHT CLASSROOM SCHEDULE ARRANGED FOR START-UP
Two separate schools will exist in Sparwood Secondary for the start of the school year. Sparwood Secondary students will attend classes from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Elkford Secondary students will attend classes from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Five 50-minute periods per day or four 60-minute periods are under consideration. The situation will remain until the construction lockout is over and Elkford Secondary School is completed. The secondary school is expected to be finished three weeks after construction resumes.
1983/84
William Fite: President
1984/85
Joe Paniec: President
George Popp: Vice President
Joe Jamison: Treasurer
Dave Pidgeon: Bargaining Chairperson
Deb Smith: Status of Women
Kathy Stone: Professional Development
Lida Plummer: Learning & Working Conditions
John Mill: Public Relations
Alice Campbell: Social
"LET'S TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS"
This was a discussion paper presented to the province by a select government appointed committee. The objective of the paper and the ensuing public meetings was to change the School Act. Such changes were to be made on the results of these meetings. The BCTF and local associations had no direct part in the committee other than to make presentations at the various public meetings.
NEGOTIATIONS:
Fall of 1984: Bargaining for a 6 month contract from January 1985 - June 1985 was achieved. The agreement includes an increase in prep time and no other contract changes. There were major changes in the seniority agreement but could not reach agreement on salary. This item went to arbitration. Net result was an arbitrated award of 3.75%.
JOB ACTION
At the May 8 General Meeting the membership voted overwhelmingly to support an Active Instruction Only Campaign, as proposed by the steering committee of: George Popp, Roy McLean, Gerri Madsen, Kate Noakes and Joe Paniec.
The work to rule campaign was the direct result of teacher frustration with the Board regarding bargaining, service levels and personnel practices. The campaign did work achieving some significant, although immeasurable gains.
Employee/Employer Assistance Program
In February 1995 a draft policy for the Employee/Employer Assistance Program was drawn up.
1985/86
Pat Robertson: President (50% Leave)
George Popp: Vice President
Sandy Cervo: Treasurer
Meredith Morrill-Smith: Secretary
Joe Jamieson: Treasurer
Bill Fite: Pro D Chair
Debbie Smith: Status of Women
Alex James: Learning & Working Conditions
Lori Fontana: Social
Rick Ortega: Safety
Walter Blais: Bargaining Chairperson
Joe Jamieson: Agreements Chairperson
PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT EXCERPTS
This year has been a very challenging and enjoyable year for me. The year started out very quickly. A few days after being elected, I flew to Kitimat. The local association president, Steve Cardwell, had been suspended by the superintendent for refusing to speak to him about association business. Seventy of the Seventy-five districts were represented in Kitimat at a special presidents meeting called by the Federation. It truly was a show of force and many people felt revitalized after three long years of frustration within the school system. Steve was reinstated and the rest of us went home.
During the last two weeks of August, Bill Fite and I talked at length about Professional Development. We bounced back and forth different ideas about restructuring Professional Development within the association. We met with Mr. Coffin during the last week of August to discuss these plans. Many of those ideas were implemented. Ideas such as the needs survey, the major district conference day, the new 60/40 split for many allocation, and increasing the Pro D fund. I would hope to see even more strengthening of the Pro D function in the coming year.
January brought bargaining, starting with the extended zone meeting on January 17 and 18 in Cranbrook. At the January 22 General Meeting, Walter Blais was elected Bargaining Chairperson. The next month was spent by the Bargaining team gathering surveys and setting bargaining objectives for contract talks. Talks with the Board began on February 18 and concluded on May 13. We went arbitration on May 26 and 27 and were ultimately awarded 1% on grid.
1986/87
Pat Robertson: President (50% release time)
Allan Smitten: Vice-president
Sandy Cervo: Treasurer
Jan Barnett: Secretary & Social
Allyster Norman: Bargaining Chair
Margaret James: Working & Learning Conditions
Deb Smith: Status of Women
Cliff Paluck: LAR
Liaison Committee: George Popp, Walter Blais, Jan Maker
Education Committee: Dave Squance, Tina Grunstrom
John Mill: Joint Budget Committee
John Bisal: Deferred Salary Plan
Keith Regular: Racism
Maureen Valikoski: Pro D
Bargaining Team: Allyster Norman
Kate Noakes
Pat Robertson
Walter Blais
DEFERRED SALARY PLAN
The deferred salary leave plan has been straightened out after much time and energy was put in by John Bisal, Tom Foran, and Fred Gietz. Present and future participants will be grateful for the work they have done on behalf of the association.
BARGAINING AND PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS ACTION PLAN
On April 4, Cliff Paluck and myself (Pat Robertson) attended a special meeting called by the Ministry of Education. The meeting was to release the new legislation, Bills 19 & 20. That afternoon, a special meeting of the BCTF was held to start planning strategies to those bills. On April 9, Cliff and I (Pat) attended a special RA held in Victoria where an action plan was adopted by the BCTF, which was ratified by each local association in the province.
One Day Study Session:
On April 28, teachers province-wide withdrew their services for a one day study session. Our study session was attended by 95% of the teachers in the district. The day was well used to study the bills and to talk to colleagues about the implications of these two bills.
One Day General Strike:
Cliff and I were back in Vancouver on May 8 for another special strategy meeting. At that time the BCTF reconfirmed its alliance with the BC Federation of Labour. In May, Bill 20 passed its third reading and Bill 19 was in its second reading. The BC Fed decided to hold a one day general strike on June 1. This was the first general strike, in sixty years, in British Columbia. The one day strike showed the government how vehemently opposed labour is to the two bills. Since that day, the public opinion on the bills has changed and the majority of people are against what the government is attempting to do. The consultation that Bill Vander Zalm has promised has instead been a series of confrontations.
1987/88
Bill Fite: President
George Popp: Vice President
Kate Noakes: Secretary/Certification Officer
Sandy Cervo: Treasurer
Cliff Paluck: Legislative Assembly Rep
Mike Tomney: Bargaining Chair
Alix James: Working & Learning Conditions
Judy Cutchie: Pro D
Peter Harwood: Social
John Mill: Disputes
Allyster Norman: Liaison
Keith Regular: Racism
Faye Hickerson: Status Of Women
BILL 19 & 20
The local association will undergo many major changes during the next year to conform to the legislation of Bill 19 & 20. What follows is a step by step description in as short a form as possible:
· Form local voluntary association for the purpose of bargaining.
· Vote to seek certification
· have membership drive
· apply for certification
· Labor relations holds vote
· Attempt to bargain first contract
In the meantime the 1986/87 contract has been rolled over to cover the 1987/88 school year. The only change is a 3% wage increase.
Rep Assembly BCTF
The rep assembly met August 28 to recommend changes to the special general meeting October 1. The most hotly debated issue on the floor was the recommendation on the floor that the BCTF be a combination of certified unions and local associations. The executive members that attended that summer conference didn't support the final decision. We supported a position that pushed for all locals to be certified within two years.
PRINCIPALS
Principals have been legislated out of our local bargaining Unit (FDTA) but may still belong to the BCTF or any other organization they wish to.
Job Action:
The arbitrated settlement was in question as to if the board would pay it in September. This issue was resolved by a court decision carried forward by the BCTF on behalf of the locals with arbitrated awards.
The honoring of clauses was solved directly by the job action taken in the fall. Due to the pressure that was applied to the board, the agreed to clauses were returned to the table and signed off.
The membership protection package was dealt with through the Joint Committee. As the arbitrated award contained the bridging clause, all that was needed was to define what the bridging clause really meant. This was done and to this point has served us well. The Bridging clause now states that the present contract continues until such time as we have a new contract. Terms and conditions of the old School Act also apply in the areas of sick leave, reports and termination, and job/union security.
BILLS 19 and 20
While we were trying to bargain a contract, the present government introduced and passed Bills 19 and 20. These two pieces of legislation have changed the educational community forever. The legislation had several goals, not all of which were achieved. One goal was to decrease the power of the BCTF and its locals. This didn't happen and, if anything, the opposite is true. Secondly, the principals were removed from the local association bargaining units. They became, as the Minister put it, real managers. While the legislation did remove these teachers from the bargaining units, the majority of administrators still work hand in hand with teachers. Another goal was to change the bargaining format under which teachers develop contracts. This was meant to put us in the "real world" so to speak. Well, if the real world is being able to finally bargain all terms and condition of employment, then thank you very much. Finally, I believe that this legislation has served another advantage that was not foreseen. It has focused public attention on education and the problems within. As professionals we are able to now address these problems at the bargaining table.
CERTIFICATION AND SIGN-UP
With bills 19 and 20 came sign-up and certification. The BCTF became the union and the FDTA became the local of that union. At present we have 99.6% of the FTE teachers in the District as members of the union. We also have 15 substitutes who have joined. The present membership of local #1 (FDTA) of the BCTF is 230 members.
1988/89
Bill Fite: President
Sandy Cervo: Treasurer
Bargaining Team: Mike Tomney
Bill Fite
Walter Blais
Dave Wall
Dave Pidgeon
ROYAL COMMISSION
The Royal Commission Recommendations that the Ministry is putting into practice, will change much of what was thought to be the method of delivering education to students in British Columbia. New curriculum, new methods and new materials will require that we as teachers return to school and receive upgrading to do the job required.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT EXCERPTS
We are fast approaching the end of another school year as well as the end of the first year of our new, first collective agreement. Our contract contains most of the clauses that we have strived for over the past 20 years. I feel that much thanks must go to each and every member for the support that was shown to the bargaining team this year. We also need to remember the bargaining teams of the past, as they have set the stage for much of what was accomplished this year. Now that we have the protection of a good collective agreement, it is the responsibility of each and every member to protect that agreement. By protect, I mean that we need to know what is in the agreement, be faithful to it and expect the employer to live up to the words as well as the intent of each and every clause. Consenting to modify the meaning of the contact will only weaken the agreement and make the next round of bargaining more difficult. Remember, the collective agreement is a living document that each and every one of us work with each day. If you help to protect it, it will protect you!
1989/90
Bill Fite: President (100% Release Time)
George Popp: Vice President
Bill Bell: Secretary
Sandy Cervo: Treasurer
Mike Tomney: Bargaining Chair
Maureen Valikoski: Pro D
Alix James: Learning & Working Conditions
Fred Gietz: Liaison
Judy Cutchie: Racism
Cliff Paluck: Legislative Assembly Rep
Kate Noakes: Adjudication
Pat Robertson: Social
Alix James: Status Of Women
Bargaining Team: Mike Tomney
Len Kosiec
Dave Misura
Bill Fite
Dave Pidgeon
Kate Noakes
FTE 205
Dues: $24.20/mth
YEAR 2000 DOCUMENT - GOVERNMENT DRAFT
Teachers in the district were asked to respond to a survey regarding the Year 2000 document
DUAL ENTRY - KINDERGARTEN
Fernie District Teachers' Association opposes the implementation of dual entry and recommends that it be deleted from the School Act. The Association urged School District #1 to adopt policy that children whose fifth birthday falls in November or December of the year be permitted to enter school in September prior to their fifth birthday.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
This is the first time that teachers have total control of the Pro D funds.
1990/91
Bill Fite: President
George Popp: VP
Sandy Cervo: Secretary
Dave Squance: Treasurer
Bill Waugh: Legislative Assembly Rep
Arlene Ridge: Status of Women
Glen Carter: Liaison
Brendalee Perry: Racism
Larry Cerny: Disputes
Laura Freeborn: Pro D Chair
Mike Tomney: Bargaining Chair
Anna Stefano: Social
FTE 205
JOB ACTION
· Study Session: March 4th
· Strike: March 6th - March 22nd - 13.5 days. Issues: Supervision, Year End Admin Day. Mediator, Vince Ready was booked in and after 24 hours of continuous mediation the Board suspended talks. On March 21st Mediator Ready was called back to the table and an Agreement In Committee was reached.
BILL 82 - Compensation Fairness Commission - Ed Lien Commissioner.
This Bill threatens to rollback wage increases already negotiated freely between school boards and their teachers. In a report to the EKTA in May of 1991 Bill Fite reported, “The Great Bill 82 Dance – Like some of the other districts, Fernie has received the second dance card called ‘Times Short, So You Can Do It Again’. The commissioner’s office is now allowing us until May 31 to submit our position on the Board’s submission. In the Fernie case, all monetary increases in the agreement are Board offers and we accepted these offers. Therefore, it’s the Board’s problem now to deal with Lein.”
YEAR 2000
In a report to the EKTA in May of 1991 Bill Fite reported, “Year 2000 is dying something like the weeds in my lawn after a good Weed’n Feed application.”
PROTEST RALLY:
April 17 - Schools close early April 17 (2:00 p.m.) for a rally at the FSS gym to protest to Bill 82.
May 7 & 8 - Presidents lobby in Victoria re: Bill 82
1991/92
George Popp: President
Bill Waugh: VP/Legislative Assembly Rep
Bill Bell: Secretary
Dave Squance: Treasurer
Maurice Coutts: Bargaining Chair/Learning & Working Conditions
Laura Freeborn: Pro D
Larry Cerny: Disputes
Leo Terava: Anti-Discrimination Chair
Glenn Carter: Liaison Chair
Eunhee Cha: Social Chair
Mike Taylor: Safety Committee
Bargaining Team: Len Kosiec, Corrine Martens, Sandy Cervo, Steve Fairbairn, George Popp
PROTEST RALLY AGAINST BILL 82
August 1991 – About 400 BCTF Summer Conference delegates protested Bill 82 outside of Ed Lein’s office on Lonsdale Quay.
BILL 82 REPEALED
Bill 82 was repealed by the new NDP government following their successful ousting of the Social Credit party from government in the provincial election.
GRIEVANCES, GRIEVANCES, GRIEVANCES
1991/92 is a banner year for the number of grievances. There were 31 class size violations to begin the school year and finally resolved at Stage 3. Also at one school in the district over 6 regularly scheduled special ed classes had no teacher in them. At the same school no School Based Team meeting was called to place special needs students until well after the school year had begun. Other issues have revolved around personnel practices such as posting and filling, seniority, teacher evaluation, recognition of experience, hiring of TOCs and, disturbingly, a trend toward parents lodging complaints against a teacher or, as in the case at one school, a number of teachers. The vast majority of these issues have been resolved in our favour.
EVALUATION COMMITTEE
An Evaluation Committee is formed to produce a proposal to bring to the Bargaining Table from both sides.
COMPUTER PURCHASE PLAN
Liaison Committee developed a proposal for a Computer Purchase Plan which would encourage and facilitate the purchase of personal Computers by the staff of the District.
THE PASSING OF A COLLEAGUE
February 1992 – Marion Moir, long-time girls Counsellor and French teacher at Fernie Secondary School, passed away Thursday, February 6.
LAYOFFS
Layoffs of teachers for the first time since 1983. (teaching staff reduced by 5.6)
BARGAINING
June 18, 1992 – Fernie teachers suspend contract negotiations on the grounds that after eight meetings they have seen no evidence of anything but an obvious attempt to strip the contract.
June 27, 1992 – Elaine Sabo, Secretary Treasurer, requests negotiation meetings during the month of August. A reply was sent stating the teachers do not conduct negotiations during the months of July and August.