Description: After a long and bitter dispute, the B.C. government and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation have reached a six-year contract with the help of mediator Vince Ready.

Source: The Vancouver Sun

Date: 09/20/2014

Link: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vaughn+Palmer+Remarkably+clean+ending+bitter+dispute/10219679/story.html

Related links:

• Column about mediator Vince Ready
• Profile of BCTF president Jim Iker
• B.C. Public School Employers’ Association
• BCTF
• Blog post by Prof. Fiona McQuarrie
• Earlier update

Questions for discussion:

• What did the BCTF give up to get this agreement?
• What did the government give up to get this agreement?
• Why does Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer describe the settlement as a “remarkably clean ending to bitter dispute”?
• What were the key issues in this dispute?
• Palmer says: “when parties don’t trust each other, it takes time to recognize which proposals are non-starters and move into each other’s zone of settlement.” Why don’t these parties trust each other?