2009 BCTF AGM Report

We voted to leave the ‘Roundtable’ due to the lack of progress at the table. In fact, the complete lack of any progress, the lack of attendance by the Premier, the refusal of the Liberals to use the Roundtable for its promised purpose….

Bargaining motions that supported the goal of a return to ‘full and free local bargaining’ all passed.

Motions that support a real move to address the need to improve our benefit plans all passed.

Motions to force the BCiMC to change its investment processes were debatd, and more importantly, the needed discussions around ethics in investments, and the role that large stockholders can have in forcing changes in corporate behaviours happened. Investment attitudes are changing.

BCTF fees to remain the same in 2009-2010, with a shift of dues allotment that includes more $ into the SIP fund.

FSA campaign to continue on.

There was a continued debate among BCTF members around the ‘Coalition’ and caucusing. There is a party of people who are not in agreement with the principles of the ‘Coalition’, and who meet, plan, devise strategy, select people to run for the BCTF Executive (including the election strategy of dropping off the ballot), but who pretend to be “Independent”, even though they all wore “DUE” buttons, and caucused to come up with strategies to give caucusing a negative brand. Time was spent looking at the value of groups meeting to get up to speed on topics (become better informed) before a meeting.

Another heated debate occurred around the rights of retired teachers to TTOC.

The elections for the BCTF executive went as follows:
President: Irene Lanzinger
1st Vice: Susan Lambert
2nd Vice; Jim Iker
Members at Large:
Glen Hansman, Christine Stewart, Terri Mooring, Jill McCaffery, and Rick Guenther.

We heard speeches, rubbed shoulders with politicians, and together we steered a course for the BCTF for 2009-2010.