Letters sent to The Premier, Minister of Education, MLA's and Quesnel School District Trustees...
The Honourable Christy Clark, MLA
Minister of Education and Deputy Premier
P.O. Box 9045
STN PROV. GOVT.
Victoria, B.C. V3W 9E2
August 21, 2002
Subject: Whatever Happened to putting "Children First"?
Ms. Kujundzic began a hunger strike on July 16th, after the School District 28 Trustees awarded their administration a $120,000 salary increase. She is to be commended for her brave decision to stand up for public services in rural British Columbia, which has led a number of others to follow her example, people such as the Mayor and the President of the B.C. Federation of Labour, Jim Sinclair.
Rural B.C. is the backbone of this province and should therefore be respected for its contribution. Wells is a thriving B.C. Community and if the decision is not reversed, families and professionals will be forced to relocate to avoid sending their children, some as young as 5 or 6 years old, over a treacherous 80-kilometre stretch of mountain highway to attend classes in Quesnel.
I believe what the BC Federation of Labour is asking for is quite reasonable - They are calling on your Ministry to discuss this issue in Caucas, as they are appalled, as we all are, that the Trustees of School District 28 have used the Small Community Supplement to balance the budget, despite the fact that the money was targeted for rural schools. This decision must be overturned.
British Columbians should not be going on a Hunger Strike to bring about common sense to this issue.
Yours truly,
Marlene Crozier
President of Vancouver Island District Council (CUPE)
President of CUPE 606 Mid-Island Schools