Labour expert not surprised by arbitration decision
Posted September 5, 2014 4:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – One labour expert tells us the government’s decision not to immediately enter arbitration is fairly predictable.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender all but ruled out binding arbitration with his comments, but he didn’t altogether say no to arbitration, and former Sauder School of Business professor emeritus Mark Thompson says that’s an important distinction.
“The dynamics of this dispute have been so fast moving, that he was probably anxious to give himself a little bit of wiggle room in case something happens in two or three weeks,” says Thompson.
Thompson adds the government is likely worried an arbitrator would give teachers significantly more than they have budgeted for.
“The parties are way apart,” Thompson says. “I think what they fear is that an arbitrator would kind of come down the middle someplace, which would result in the government having to give much more than they planned on and much more than the other unions had got.”
Thompson states most government’s avoid arbitration whenever possible due to the lack of control within that process.
