Victoria has instructed a senior public servant to probe the contract dispute between the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) and the BC Public School Employers' Association (BCPSEA) and determine whether a settlement is possible.
Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government Minister Margaret MacDiarmid appointed Trevor Hughes to meet both sides and write a report by February 23.
Hughes has been with the labour ministry since October 2008 and has 16 years of collective bargaining and labour relations experience in the broader public sector.
Minister of Education George Abbott requested that MacDiarmid make the appointment.
"During this process, I encourage the union and the employers' association to continue working toward an agreement," said MacDiarmid.
The two sides have been at a stalemate since last September. Teachers are asking for a 15% wage hike while Abbott has not budged from the government's "net-zero increases" policy to freeze wages.
