About 700 teachers from across the province will gather in Vancouver this weekend for the 109th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the BC Teachers’ Federation.
The AGM is the largest of three governance bodies that make decisions and guide the union’s direction on behalf of BC’s 51,000 public school teachers. This year’s AGM takes place as the Federation prepares for provincial collective bargaining amidst a severe teacher shortage and economic uncertainties flowing from south of the border.
BCTF President Clint Johnston will complete his third year in the position at the end of June 2025, before taking up a new role in Ottawa as President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation in July.
Johnston emphasized the absolute necessity of solidarity in these difficult times. “We need solidarity within the teaching profession across provinces and territories, and we need solidarity across all sectors of society and international borders,” he said.
“It’s increasingly critical for workers—all workers—to stand together. My years working as part of the Federation have made it plain that we can only make progress together. We can only recover from setbacks together, and only together can we hold the line in defence of our collective principles that are increasingly under attack these days. This is true for teachers, true for all workers, and true for those engaged in community activism as well.”
On Sunday afternoon, the AGM will welcome special guest speaker Niigaan Sinclair, award-winning Anishinaabe journalist, academic, author of Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre, and winner of the 2024 Governor-General’s Award for Non-Fiction.
Delegates will also hear from Sussanne Skidmore, President of the BC Federation of Labour; Heidi Yetman, President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation; and Karen Ranalletta, President of CUPE BC.
The AGM runs from Saturday, March 15, through Tuesday, March 18, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Over the four-day event, delegates will vote on issues ranging from education policy and finance to the health, welfare, and safety of teachers. They will also elect members of their Executive Committee for the next year.
For media inquiries please contact:
Nancy Knickerbocker
Assistant Director, Media and Public Relations
BCTF Communications and Campaigns
Cell: 604-340-1959
nknickerbocker@bctf.ca