June 27, 2012 - 1:01 PM
VICTORIA - Premier Christy Clark is cheering what she calls the unlikely tentative contract with British Columbia's teachers.
Clark says many people were preparing for mediated talks between the B.C. Teachers Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers Association to fail, but a deal was reached that averts job action for the next school year.
Clark is also pleased government-appointed mediator Charles Jago helped the two sides reach an agreement that stays within the government's zero wage increase mandate.
Education Minister George Abbott says the only option left to the government if mediation failed was legislating a teacher contract.
Abbott compared the negotiations in the labour dispute to labour during the birthing process, saying it wasn't a babe that was easily born.
BCTF President Susan Lambert has scheduled a new conference for later today, but the BCTF has already said voting on the proposed deal by teachers starts today.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012