After a highly combative year of what seemed to be go-nowhere bargaining, the B.C. Teacher鈥檚 Federation signed a tentative agreement with the government on Tuesday.

Now 91原创 Teachers Association president Gail Chaddock-Costello is scrambling to book the Coast Hotel for Thursday (today) so local teachers can vote on whether they accept the agreement.

鈥淗opefully, we will have teachers voting on Thursday. We have to get their ballots to the BCTF by Friday,鈥� she said. The BCTF executive is recommending teachers vote in favour of the temporary contract.

Chaddock-Costello said she is 鈥減leased for teachers,鈥� but is happy this contract ends June 30, 2013.

鈥淭he government hasn鈥檛 succeeded in destroying our union and we are stronger than ever,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e can fight another day.鈥�

Chaddock-Costello said the B.C. Liberals have tried and failed to strip their contract.

鈥淎bsolutely no other public sector has been attacked like this. We do feel we have been vilified by the government,鈥� she said.

The new agreement does improve benefits like dental coverage for teachers in 91原创, something that hasn鈥檛 been increased locally in 20 years, said Chaddock-Costello. It also provides teachers with better leave provisions.

The agreement kept within the government鈥檚 net zero wage increase, which the BCTF said it will be hammering away at again next June.

It also doesn鈥檛 deal with class size and composition, something the government took away, replacing class size limits with teacher compensation.

Despite increased job action that included no extracurricular activities, it appears graduation ceremonies and grad events went on without issue, with many parents stepping up where some teachers would not in 91原创.

Some sporting events were cancelled  when teachers stopped coaching as part of job action.

But for the most part, parents stepped up in place of them and events continued. Some plays were cancelled in 91原创 because of the teachers鈥� strike.