To pressure the BCPSEA and the government to capitulate on wage and classroom size demands, on September 27, over 88 per cent of 31,740 teachers voted to begin job action by withdrawing supervisory and administrative duties.

[3] With negotiations derailed and a strike imminent, the government introduced legislation on October 5 to extend the previous contract through the end of the school year—June 2006—at which time the across-the-board wage freeze would be revisited.

Furthermore, the BCPSEA successfully applied to the British Columbia Labour Relations Board (BCLRB) to deem any strike action illegal.

The job action was illegal because teaching in British Columbia was considered an essential service and teachers were not allowed to strike.

Termed a "Day of Protest" rather than a general strike, the city saw the vast majority of its public services crippled by labour action.

He called on the BCTF to obey the law and said that the union has "made a complete mockery of the British Columbia Supreme Court."

[10] On June 9, 2006, the union announced that if a contract was not reached before the start of the school year, it was prepared to commence labour disruption (strike) activities, including a possible full withdrawal of service.

[12][13] Late in the day on June 30, 2006, the two sides reached a tentative agreement for a 16 per cent increase in wages and benefits over a five-year contract.

Additionally, the government sought more control over professional development, reduced seniority provisions, and increased teacher evaluation and accountability.

The BCTF demanded a 15 per cent wage increase over three years (costed at $560 million by the BCTF and $2 billion by the provincial government), increased paid prep time, improved benefits, additional leave, and an additional six discretionary leave days per year to care for a sick friend or relative (a request that was later dropped).