Surrey Teachers’ Strike 1974, Video
This 8-minute video tells the story of the one-day strike by Surrey teachers in 1974 that had a profound effect on public education across the province. With less than 24-hours notice, over 1,000 teachers left their classrooms, travelled to the legislature in Victoria to protest against large class sizes and what they felt was the provincial government’s inaction.
The video covers the following key points:
● Motivation for the strike.
● Decision to strike, and the meeting where teachers voted to strike and take their case to Victoria.
● The protest in Victoria, including confrontations with politicians and a pivotal meeting with Premier Dave Barrett and the Minister of Education, Eileen Dailly.
● Outcome and impact: The teachers reached an agreement for a three-year program to reduce class sizes by one-and-a-half students per year. This led to more government funding, the creation of thousands of new teaching positions, and significant improvements in teaching and learning conditions across British Columbia.
● The event demonstrated the power of collective action and paved the way for teachers to bargain for broader aspects of their work beyond just salary and bonuses.
This video was created and produced by the Surrey Teachers’ Association and the BC Labour Heritage Centre in 2017, to document significant historical events in the 100-year history of the BC Teachers’ Federation.