March 15, 2014 - 4:47 PM
VANCOUVER - Talk of job action was noticeably absent from a speech the president of the BC Teachers Federation gave during the union's annual meeting today.
Jim Iker reiterated the union's commitment to fight for smaller class sizes, more specialist teachers and better wages.
He commended the union's 89 per cent strike vote but did not say if and when any action would happen.
Iker says talks will resume in April.
The ongoing dispute between the province and the teachers has been a bitter one — a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled in January that legislation removing class size from contract negotiations was unconstitutional and awarded the teachers' union $2 million.
The ruling ordered that class size limits, maximums on the number of special needs students, and specialist teacher staffing levels be restored to 2002 levels, when the teachers' union first launched a court challenge.
The province is appealing that ruling.
The teachers have been without a contract since last June.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014