Labour Minister Michael de Jong introduced legislation yesterday to extend the collective agreement between the B.C Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) until June 30, 2006. The collective agreement expired on June 30, 2004.
Bill 12, the Teachers’ Collective Agreement Act, would effectively settle the dispute between the parties and preclude further job action by teachers. Minister de Jong has also announced that the Government intends to appoint an Industrial Inquiry Commission under the Labour Relations Code to develop a new bargaining process to assist with the parties with further negotiations.
Bill 12 received first reading on October 3, 2005, and must proceed through second and third readings before receiving royal assent and becoming law.
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