[Newsbot]

Title: B.C. teachers vote in favour of strike
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2012-03-01 00:44:23
Canadian

[CrazyNewfie]

Of course they voted to strike

[Brenda]

2 weeks of spring break is not enough, obviously.

[BartSimpson]

They should strike for a year. Make it two.

[jeff744]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... anned.html

Seems the teachers aren't the only ones that are mad.

[Brenda]

jeff744 jeff744:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/02/28/bc-student-walkout-planned.html

Seems the teachers aren't the only ones that are mad.

$1:

"Whatever affects our teachers affects us because it affects our education and our learning and our school experience and our high school experience," said student Navi Rai.

Whatever the teachers will get will affect EVERYBODY since taxes will be raised, and 50% more funding AND a 15% wage-increase is a bit much to expect to be paid for by the working people.
You'll get that when you have to pay for your own stuff, and do NOT get any wage increase. Not even to compensate for the increase in cost of living.

[Scape]

$1:

The government's game has become more than obvious- provoke teachers to break this unfair law, then call an election on the issue. It's the only way that Clark and Co. have a chance- by blaming the teachers for the government's inability to reach a fair deal.

I'm not sure that people realize what's really at stake here- it's not just teachers' contracts, but the entire social contract that is being threatened. When the government can use its power to isolate a particular group in society, and treat them in a manner that is blatantly unfair, then we're all threatened.

And if youy don't think the proposed legislation is unfair, just go back and review the history of teacher negotiations in this province over the last 15 years. Teachers were forced to unionize against their will on the promise that they's be able to bargain under the Labour Code. Then they were exempted from the Code on the grounds that they are an "essential service"- as designation previously reserved for emergency workers.

Then they were told that they weren't even allowed to withdraw their services. Take what the employer demands, or pay a fine.

Would anyone else insociety be forced to accept those conditions of employment?

Would you?

Fair point.

I think Christie is running scared and using teachers as a scapegoat.

[andyt]

Who wrote that? I don't think Christie wants to provoke an election right now - she's way behind. But she's also wanting to move right to fight off Cummins, so that may be part of her agenda here. Other than that it's business as usual in BC.

While what you quoted makes good points, I'm not sure what the answer is. I don't think unionization works well for any govt workers, but have never heard of a good alternative. The govt isn't going to go with binding arbitration. Maybe some way to compare govt workers to similar jobs in the private sector and pay them an average of that.

[BartSimpson]

If the work conditions and pay for teachers is so bad then the teachers should just quit and find other work.

[Brenda]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

If the work conditions and pay for teachers is so bad then the teachers should just quit and find other work.

No no, Bart, you miss the most important part... They are not in it for the money, they are in it "FOR THE KIDS".

[jeff744]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

If the work conditions and pay for teachers is so bad then the teachers should just quit and find other work.

There is a difference between insufferable and bad enough that they would like a deal for once, 15% is not a set number, that is a starter, unless you have never learn anything about economics you know that the starter is just there to give room to negotiate.

[Brenda]

jeff744 jeff744:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

If the work conditions and pay for teachers is so bad then the teachers should just quit and find other work.

There is a difference between insufferable and bad enough that they would like a deal for once, 15% is not a set number, that is a starter, unless you have never learn anything about economics you know that the starter is just there to give room to negotiate.

They don't want to negotiate. They want what they are asking for.
The government offered them a net-zero contract, which allowed for 165 million in special ed funding. They want 335 million. The did not negotiate anything, they are plainly saying "$335 million and 15% or we go on strike".

15% in 3 years? REALLY?? They got 10% in 5 years. So they want 25% in 8 years. Hell, I want that too. But fact is, that I will have to pay for all of that, because my property taxes will go up (A LOT, since housing prices have gone down), and my income does not. And has not for a few years. Private sector, remember?

[dino_bobba_renno]

I really don't know how much teachers make or if they should be in line for a pay increase but I really wish they would stop giving them more and more of those damn "teacher development " days (I.e. days off). My kids have at least 2 days a month extra off, normally more. Every time I turn around they have a day off for something or other. I'm lucky in that my wife is a stay at home mom but I know my friends struggle with all extra days off because they both work and can't find temporary child care to take the kids on those days. I also have to wonder what affect all those days off are having on my kids education. You can only squeeze so much into a school year and when your taking away an extra 20 days of class time a year away it has to have some kind of effect.

[BartSimpson]

dino_bobba_renno dino_bobba_renno:

I really don't know how much teachers make or if they should be in line for a pay increase but I really wish they would stop giving them more and more of those damn "teacher development " days (I.e. days off).

Funny, my current job is working for the State of California. In this I get two 'professional development days' per year.

My coworkers think I'm a fool because I apply those days to scheduled off-site training instead of just taking the days off to horse around.

[Brenda]

I think it was BF, who said they get only 4 of those per year. My experience is that there are more, but as a mom, what do I know. His gf is teacher in Ontario, so I guess he knows best.