With just one week to go before the start of the school year, B.C.'s education minister says hope is fading fast for a resolution to the ongoing labour dispute with teachers.
Teachers and their employers resumed contract talks Tuesday, but Education Minister George Abbott says the two sides aren't making much progress.
"There's not a lot of reasons for optimism at this point for an early resolution," he said.
B.C. Teachers Federation President Susan Lambert says the union isn't willing to budge on several key issues.
"If government does not come to the table trying to alleviate the conditions in schools and provide service for students, then there will not be an end to this bargaining," she told CTV News.
If nothing improves by Sept. 6, teachers will be working to rule, refusing to do any administration work.
Debbie Pawluk, a union representative at Vancouver Secondary, says her phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from teachers concerned about what they'll be doing this school year.
"We won't be formally preparing or distributing report cards," she said. "Teachers won't be involved, for example, in meet the teacher night, which would happen early in the year, or parent-teacher interviews,"
The job action could also impact school photos and supervision, although extracurricular activities like sports should not be affected unless teachers who normally volunteer their time decide not to.
The teachers' contract with the government expired at the end of June, and the two sides have been in talks since March. Teachers are asking for smaller class size, higher salaries and the right to bargain at the local level.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Norma Reid
