Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC

The BC Provincial Election is off and running - to nobody's surprise. There is something about having a fixed date for an election that robs it of the writ-dropping drama we are accustomed to.

There's an election coming and the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators is getting involved.

We asked our members what they thought about the issues, the record of the BC Government on education and other issues, and the level of political involvement they want to see from their organizations. The answers were pretty clear.

We are currently facing campaigns and battles on many fronts as post-secondary educators. I know that we sometimes wonder if the struggles are worth it, given the time and resources that they can take. There's nothing like a little victory to re-energize us and this commentary is about one such victory.

A recent decision of the BC Supreme Court confirming the advisory role of Education Councils in Colleges and Institutes under the 1996 College and Institute Act should be taken to heart by administrators and faculty associations throughout the province.

WE ALL BEGIN THE NEW YEAR with a strong sense of the importance of friends and allies and a reminder of how quickly our world can change. The tragedy which has unfolded in Southeast Asia over the past several weeks also reminds us all that we must care for one another as individuals, as unions and as nations.

We ended the 2004 year at the BC Federation of Labour convention - where hundreds of trade unionists came together to debate and discuss the major issues of the day and to decide on future strategy.

How would you spend $4.5 billion? While it may be harder this year to get in the door to answer the question, this is the 2005 budget question.

It's that time of year again when the BC Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services - a committee of the BC Legislature - traverses the province to hear British Columbians' views on the 2005 provincial budget. This year, as in past years, many FPSE locals have sought to participate, as we did at the provincial level. But there are two significant differences with this year's consultation.

AS EDUCATORS, WE LOOK FORWARD to September as a time for reconnecting with old friends and getting a jump on the new school year's course work. We expect a barrage of back-toschool ads on the radio, television and in the newspapers and we prepare for excitement and exhaustion of another school year.

This back-to-school season is the last one before the next provincial election and features a series of slick BC government ads designed to convince us that B.C.'s post secondary education system is in better shape than ever. I have a mixed reaction to the ads.