Updated: Oct. 10 2005 20:55 EST
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B.C. workers walking out to back teachers
Thousands of unionized workers in British Columbia are expected to walk off the job Monday to take part in a major rally in Victoria in support of 42,000 striking teachers.
INDEPTH: Back-to-work legislation
As many as 15,000 members of government unions on Vancouver Island, ranging from bus drivers to social workers, will begin to gather along with hundreds of teachers for the protest at about 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT).
Hospital and ferry workers are not expected to join the one-day protest.
RELATED: Coverage from CBC British Columbia
The rally comes as British Columbia's labour minister hints at more court action aimed at stopping the illegal strike, which is now affecting its sixth school day.
Mike DeJong continues to say the government won't negotiate with the teachers while they defy court orders aimed at ending the strike. During a conference call late Sunday, he hinted at even tougher legal action against teachers.
"First of all, my guess is you are going to see more involvement by the courts," he said.
At the same time, DeJong said he and other government officials are in talks with the B.C. Federation of Labour to try to end the impasse.
FROM OCT. 16, 2005: Go back to work, B.C. business lobby tells teachers
B.C. Government and Service Employees' union president George Heyman said the rally will go ahead as planned, despite the talks.
"We want them to sit down with teachers and negotiate a settlement," he said. "This won't be settled in the courts."
The British Columbia Teachers' Federation is ignoring legislation that declares education an essential service, meaning teachers in the province don't have the right to strike, as well as a contempt of court ruling issued against it the weekend after the strike began on Oct. 7.
FROM OCT. 13, 2005: B.C. teachers face loss of strike pay but no fine
The teachers want a 15 per cent wage increase and smaller class sizes. They are angry that the government pushed through legislation that unilaterally extended their collective agreement until June 2006.
About 600,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 have been out of class because of the strike.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says Monday's rally is just the start of its job action aimed at supporting the teachers.
On Tuesday, all CUPE union members in the northern part of British Columbia will walk away from their jobs as a form of protest.
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