VANCOUVER - The threat of a full-blown teachers' strike is hanging over British Columbia's 500,000 public school students, as their academic year comes to an end.
Members of the B.C. Teachers' Federation will vote on Monday and Tuesday to escalate their job action, which is currently limited to provincewide, rotating strikes.
Union president Jim Iker announced the vote immediately after the B.C. Labour Relations Board ruled the provincial government could dock teachers' pay by 10 per cent.
Iker says the time has come to exert the maximum amount of pressure on the government so the union can get a fair contract and better supports for students.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender says the government still hopes to reach a new contract by the end of June.
He says the government has put a fair wage offer on the table that's in line with similar agreements covering nearly 116,000 public-sector workers.
Fassbender says a full strike will only keep students out of their classrooms, create more disruption for parents, and hurt the pocketbooks of teachers and support workers.
Iker says rotating strikes will continue next week, and the union is legally obligated to give B.C. families three days notice before a full-blown walkout.
