FDTA History: 1986 - 1987
- Pat Robertson - President (50% release time)
- Allan Smitten - Vice-president
- Sandy Cervo - Treasurer
- Jan Barnett - Secretary & Social
- Allyster Norman - Bargaining
- Margaret James - WLC
- Deb Smith - Status of Women
- Cliff Paluck - LAR
- Lida Plummer - Alternate LAR
- George Popp - Liaison Committee
- Walter Blais - Liaison Committee
- Jan Maker - Liaison Committee
- Dave Squance - Education Committee
- Tina Grunstrom - Education Committee
- John Mill - Joint Budget Committee
- John Bisal - Deferred Salary Plan
- Keith Regular - Racism
- Maureen Valikoski - Pro D
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.
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.
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.