June 20, 2014 - 11:01 AM
VANCOUVER - An independent facilitator who's spent the past year trying to help B.C.'s teachers' union and the government reach a deal has quit his post.
Mark Brown resigned Thursday night after the BC Teachers' Federation unilaterally called for a mediator as a full-blown strike continues with both sides far apart.
A government spokesman says Brown's decision to leave is unfortunate because he's familiar with all the issues, but the facilitator felt he had lost the union's confidence.
A union spokesman says Brown was well-informed of the decision to call on veteran mediator Vince Ready to join the talks and says it's a normal next step for the facilitator to take his leave.
The government has not yet agreed to appoint Ready, but says it's open to bringing in a neutral third party to try and reach a negotiated settlement by month's end.
More than 40,000 teachers across the province are on picket lines in the dispute over wages and classroom conditions.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014