Students in the Richmond School District will not be attending classes on Tuesday if the BC Teachers' Federation and Ministry of Education cannot come to an agreement on a new contract for teachers.
The BCTF is following through on its strike notice from March that saw 89 per cent of teachers favour job action.
As a result, schools throughout the province will experience rotating strikes with Richmond scheduled to see striking teachers on its streets on Tuesday, while Vancouver teachers plan to strike on Monday.
According to district spokesperson David Sadler, before and after school programs will be closed and children are being advised not to show up. Administrators, however, will continue working.
To date, teachers have already limited their duties at schools, such as reducing communications with administrators and limiting before and after school work hours.
The strike action comes days after the provincial government made an offer to teachers that also came with an ultimatum.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender offered teachers a $1,200 signing bonus and reduced its demand for a 10-year contract to only six years. However, if the offer wasn't accepted in a timely manor the bonus would be revoked.
Fassbender also said the province would seek to reduce teacher wages for the limited action it had taken to date.
But Federation president Jim Iker said the offer failed to meet many important issues.
"Unfortunately, the employer has steadfastly refused to table any improvements to class size, class composition, and staffing levels for specialist teachers. Teachers have twice won the right to negotiate our working conditions, which are also students' learning conditions, in BC Supreme Court," said Iker.
