Supreme Court

Good Morning friends,

It was wonderful news that we received this morning that the Supreme Court of Canada has granted us leave to appeal the BC Court of Appeal decision regarding the unconstitutional stripping of our collective agreements by the BC Liberals in 2002 and again in 2012.

This will allow us to continue to fight for our classroom working/learning conditions.  After 14 years of degraded conditions, chronic underfunding of our public education system, and mean spirited legislation designed to demoralize teachers and devalue the work we do, now more than ever do we need the courts to recognize that governments/employers cannot simply run roughshod over the rights of workers – especially when those rights are freely bargained for and protected under the Charter of Rights.

Our in-house legal staff, together with our partners at Victory Square Law, will have one final kick at the can.  Given our two previous court wins in this case (compared to one loss) I have every hope that justice will prevail and we will be victorious.  I know that is the hope of us all.

Stay positive.  Kevin and/or I will report more to you after the Rep Assembly at the end of the month.

Cheers,

Shawn Gough
Vancouver Island North Teachers’ Association
Local President