Education Minister George Abbott has asked his staff to work through the weekend to prepare back-to-work legislation aimed at ending a labour dispute with B.C. teachers.
Abbott made the announcement Thursday after a senior official in the Labour Ministry concluded a negotiated deal was “very unlikely.”
“I am satisfied now that for the days, weeks and probably months ahead, a freely negotiated collective agreement is an impossibility,” he said. “I will be moving as quickly as we can on this.”
He said students are paying the price for the dispute and he can no longer “in good conscience” allow the job action to continue.
A back-to-work bill could be introduced in the B.C. legislature as early as next week.
Vancouver Sun full text article here.
By Lindsay Kines and Rob Shaw, Victoria Times Colonist February 24, 2012
lkines@timescolonist.com
rshaw@timescolonist.com
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