Teachers unified in doing best for students
Name: Bernice Jay
Occupation: Teacher
Union: BC Teachers Federation
Bernice Jay knew from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher, but she never imagined it would lead to becoming a union activist too.
A first-generation Chinese-Canadian, Jay grew up in a happy extended family that celebrated the best of both Chinese and Western cultures. Her fluency in Cantonese later proved to be a tremendous asset in her professional life.
Jay completed teacher training at the University of BC and taught for five years before doing her Masters in Education at the University of Toronto. When she returned to Vancouver in 2004, she began teaching Grades 1 and 2 at Sir William Osler Elementary.
What’s her favourite thing about the job? “Connecting with the children and establishing a community in the classroom,” she says. “Every child in my class is special, and everyone is welcome.” Jay enjoys many aspects of the work: helping children learn from one another, watching them flourish as they explore their strengths, and boosting their self-esteem to confront challenges.
As a Vancouver teacher, Jay is a member of the Vancouver Elementary Teachers’ Association (VESTA), a local of the 41,000-member BC Teachers’ Federation.
“Even as a new teacher, I was aware of the importance and power of the union. When I first received my collective agreement, I felt very aware that I needed to read it from cover to cover to know my rights,” Jay recalled.
At that time, difficult relations between staff and administration made school stressful: “It was a toxic atmosphere.” As a VESTA representative, Jay worked to ease frustration and foster a high level of professionalism.
Working on the grievance committee she found satisfaction in reaching out to members whose rights had been violated. In 2009, she was elected as a member at large on the VESTA executive committee. Jay has also appeared in BCTF videos, helping get the message out about the importance of voting.
On maternity leave since the birth of her daughter Sophia last fall, Jay is looking forward to getting back to the classroom and the union next fall.
Meanwhile, she is concerned about the intense pressure on public education and the long struggle with the BC Liberal government. A decade of underfunding has resulted in 3,000 fewer teachers, 200 closed schools, thousands of overcrowded classes and less support for students with special needs.
“It’s the children who are losing out, especially the most vulnerable ones,” she lamented.
This spring BC teachers go into negotiations for a new collective agreement, and everyone knows it will be a difficult round of bargaining. “I’m sure our members will stand together, remain positive and stick to our ideals,” Jay said.