Here's the content of what the BC Teachers' Federation posted on their website today concerning their Charter/legal challenge of Bills 27 and 28 which were enacted by the BC Liberal government in 2002.

The new legislation ended the BCTF's ability to collective bargain class size and composition; guarantees of service from teacher-librarians, counsellors, learning assistance and other specialist teachers;, the length of the school day, and hours of instruction in the school year:

Legal counsel for the BCTF began opening arguments before Madam Justice Griffin in BC Supreme Court on November 15, in what promises to be a significant case determining the rights of teachers and their unions. The BCTF is challenging Bills 27 and 28, imposed by the BC Liberal government in 2002, because teachers believe the legislation violated their right to freedom of association under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Speaking on behalf of the BCTF, John Rogers outlined the long history of teachers' struggle to gain full collective bargaining rights. He canvassed the three rounds of local bargaining and the first two rounds of provincial bargaining, during which teachers emphasized class size, class composition, and staffing ratios for non-enrolling teachers. 

On November 16, Rogers will begin examining the 2001-02 round of bargaining, when the stripping legislation was imposed and the collective agreement was purged of many important clauses. Check this site for daily updates as the case progresses.