Part 1 of Public Education Support Staff Collective Bargaining Assistance Act Repealed

Part 1 of the Public Education Support Staff Collective Bargaining Assistance Act has been repealed. Under the Act, repeal was automatic on July 31 2000 unless extended by BC government regulation before that date. No regulation was issued. Part 1 of the Act ended and prohibited support staff strikes in over forty BC school districts, provided for an Industrial Inquiry Commission and gave the Commission the power to determine the support staff collective agreements in those districts. The Act came into force on April 2 2000 and gave the Commission a maximum of seventy five days from that date in which to make a “written decision for settlement” between each of the named school boards and their respective support staff unions. The Commission issued its decision for school boards in the Vancouver Island Labour Relations Council on May 30 2000, and on June 7 2000 for the remaining affected boards. Part 1 also contained the provision empowering government to add school boards to the schedule of boards that would have their support staff agreements arbitrated by the Commission. Part 2 of the Act continues in force. Part 2 set up another Commission to study and make recommendations on the structure of support staff bargaining for the future