TEACHERS

Total victory seen

Organizers in the B.C. Teachers Federa-
tion are confidently predicting virtual total
victory in the fall drive to unionize its
members in line with the requirements of
the Teaching Profession Act imposed by the
Social Credit government.

Lynne Macdonald, co-ordinator of the
drive, told the Tribune Dec. 15 that all 75

locals held sign-up votes to authorize the
certification vote that must be taken under
Sect. 131 (2) of the Act, also known as Bill
20

The “overwhelming majority,” she said,
voted by more than 90 per cent for a certifi-
cation vote, and seven locals approved the
vote by 100 per cent.

#170-111 Victoria Dr.
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 255-7346

Wishes to extend
warm holiday
greetings and
friendship, solidarity
and peace to all in
the New Year.

Serving workers in the telecommunications inudstry since 1949.

in unionizing drive

Almost all locals will have held the certi-
fication vote by the end of the year, in time
for the certification applications the BCTF
must make to the Industrial Relations
Commission in the first three weeks of 1988.
As of Jan. 1, public school teachers will be
under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Rela-
tions Reform Act, or Bill 19.

Only one local, Summerland, will hold a
Sect. 131(2) vote in 1988, Macdonald said.

Summerland, a small teachers associa-
tion, is the only question mark in a vote
that, given the sign-up results, will certainly
see at least 74 unionized teacher locals in the
federation, she said.

“Td say it’s what we expected. The feder-
ation has an historical role in bargaining for
teachers, and the only way to achieve full
collective bargaining rights, teachers know,
is the trade union route,” Macdonald said.

The federation is conducting the certifica-
tion drive with the blessings of the B.C.
Federation of Labour, which granted an
general exemption of its boycott of the IRC
to all affiliates seeking to certify locals.

The teachers federation — whichis nota
B.C. Fed member — abides by the princi-
ples of the boycott and will observe it when
contract negotiations for the newly certified
locals come up, said Macdonald.

The BCTF also won an important IRC
decision which upheld the federation’s con-

tention that substitute teachers are indeed
teachers and school board employees, 4M
hence eligible to vote in the certificatiol
drive. The IRC allowed the substitutes ®
vote under certain conditions and rejectt?
an argument by the B.C. School Trusté
Association and the Maple Ridge sch
board that substitute teachers were neithet
teachers nor employees, but contracted
workers.

The ruling stipulated that substitulé
teachers who have worked eight days, %!
part thereof, within 40 days prior to the datt
of the local’s application for certification
are eligible to vote.

Still to be worked out are details conceit
ing which local substitute teachers — somt
of whom in this case may vote in more thal!
one local — will be allowed to vote #
regarding regular union business matte
said Macdonald. )

“Basically, we’re undergoing a total reor
ganization of our structure, and its going!
take a number of years before it’s com
pleted,” she said.

In another development, teachers CaP
tured all 16 seats for which they were eligible
to run on the new Teachers College created
under Bill 20. Government appointees fot
the remaining four seats include a Socted
supporter and the head of a private college:

Best wishes for
the holiday season
to all our friends

Vancouver Shoreworkers

WITH A CABOOSE
Ne

WORKING TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF
THE TRAINS OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

Local 2

5261 Lane Street, Burnaby, 437-8601 United Fishermen & |
Larry Armstrong D.E. Bremner Allied Workers Union |
President Secretary-Treasurer |
J 4 |
Sea sons Gr eeli ng Ss Fraternal Greetings |
from the membership of from |
the membership |

of Local #9

4 PACIFIC TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 16, 1987

MERRY CHRISTMAS
to our members and friends

United Food & Commercial

Workers Union
of British Columbia
Local 1518

Pulp, Paper &

Woodworkers
of Canada |
to all |

trade unionists
and workers.

We wish you
a very |
Merry Christmas .
and prosperous
New Year.

as