Labour board rules teachers can withdraw from extracurricular activities, but must attend meetings
By Nelson Daily Staff
The B.C. Labour Relations Board has ruled Friday that public teachers in the province do not need to participate in extracurricular activities as part of labour dispute with the government.
However, the B.C. Teachers Federation must instruct its members to participate in parent-teacher meetings and other school meetings.
In a release on the Labour Relations website the board said:
“I find that the Union has not declared or authorized an unlawful strike by directing its members to refrain from participating in activities which occur outside of class time/instructional hours and are truly voluntary and extra-curricular,” said vice chair, Ritu Mahil.
“These include coaching, instructing or supervising student performances, sports teams, clubs or field trips, or attending graduation or awards ceremonies, where those activities are not related to a course or undertaken for marks.
The B.C. Public School Employers Association went to the LRB to complain that withdrawing from extra-curricular activities constituted an illegal strike in violation of the legislation.
Mahil backed the BCPSEA in regards to the complaint regarding meetings.
“I find that the Union has declared or authorized an unlawful strike by directing or authorizing its members to withdraw from activities which, although they occur outside of instructional hours, may nonetheless be part of their work duties,” he said.
These include duties include participating in School Based Team meetings, Individual Education Program meetings, parent-teacher interview meetings, district committee meetings, and BC Ministry of Education initiatives such as Ready Set Go and kindergarten orientation.
The union and school employers remain at the LRB arguing over the qualifications of the mediator the government appointed in the dispute.
The BCTF feels mediator Charles Jago is biased and should be dismissed from the post.
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