Description: Veteran mediator Vince Ready says it’s unrealistic to expect the two sides in the B.C. schools dispute to come to an agreement by the scheduled start of classes. He had been engaged in exploratory talks with the parties in the hopes of entering mediation.

Source: CBC

Date: 08/30/2014

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-teachers-strike-vince-ready-walks-out-of-talks-1.2751718

Related links:

• B.C. Teachers’ Federation
• B.C. Public School Employers’ Association
• Profile of Vince Ready
• January court decision
• Earlier update

Questions for discussion:

• Why did Vince Ready quit the talks?
• Consult your textbook. What is mediation? What does a mediator do?
• The Vancouver School Board is asking that the dispute be put to binding arbitration. What is binding arbitration? How does it differ from mediation?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches?
• See the Related links above. In January, the B.C. Supreme Court found the B.C. government had bargained in bad faith with the teachers. What does the term bad faith mean in a collective bargaining context?