Castanet

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-86395-11-.htm#86395

I really hope this can be pulled off. Its about time teachers stop holding our kids as hostages for their own greedy agenda.

The union is greedy in its demands, not the teachers as a whole. These people work hard and deserve to be paid for it. Many of these teachers may leave for other provinces if they cannot make a living here. How will classrooms be impacted by a teacher shortage? This is just a ploy for the government, how much control due you really think teachers will have if this go through?

Teachers dont have a greedy agenda. The present government does. Are you willing to sign a 10 year contract wage wise so vague and not addressing any of the issues teachers have? Its another ploy by a government that supposedly looks after our children. The money spent on their advertising could have gone a long way to help the children and the poor.

Why would the teachers want to sign a 10-year agreement with a party that doesn't have 10 months left in office?

Especially after all of the conflict that's existed between these two.................seems like a "Hail-Mary" by Christy Clark in her last few months in office.

MyWorld wrote:The union is greedy in its demands, not the teachers as a whole. These people work hard and deserve to be paid for it. Many of these teachers may leave for other provinces if they cannot make a living here. How will classrooms be impacted by a teacher shortage? This is just a ploy for the government, how much control due you really think teachers will have if this go through?

Oh, please. That is such a lame threat. They cannot make a living? How do they think the rest of us are able to?
Most people don't start out at 40K right out of school and nearly double that in about 10 years. Add to that 3 months off each year, paid sick days and a benefit and retirement package that boggles the mind. Ohhhhh how do they do it?
Where is this line up of teacher leaving for greener pastures?
As for the teacher shortage??? Again...please. There are lots of qualified teachers waiting for someone to retire so they can get a job in SD 23.

abbyrugby wrote:Especially after all of the conflict that's existed between these two.................seems like a "Hail-Mary" by Christy Clark in her last few months in office.

History seems to indicate the BCTF didn't get along with the NDP either, so I wouldn't hold my breath expecting that to change.

gardengirl wrote:Oh, please. That is such a lame threat. They cannot make a living? How do they think the rest of us are able to?
Most people don't start out at 40K right out of school and nearly double that in about 10 years. Add to that 3 months off each year, paid sick days and a benefit and retirement package that boggles the mind. Ohhhhh how do they do it?
Where is this line up of teacher leaving for greener pastures?
As for the teacher shortage??? Again...please. There are lots of qualified teachers waiting for someone to retire so they can get a job in SD 23.

I agree with you gardengirl. That's a completely hollow threat, and certainly not supported by the numbers of qualified teachers wishing to get a job in BC. Why would they be waiting for a job here if it's so rosy everywhere else?

Possibly because those with that mentality only look at the wage figures pertaining to other geographic areas, conveniently ignoring important details such as higher cost of living, as well as other negatives that go along with those places.

You can earn more if you are willing to work up in the tundra but who wants to go there?

The union is greedy in its demands, not the teachers as a whole.

Huh! It's the teachers that call the shots, not the union. It's just not that way but so many keep trying make us believe it is. Never in my life has a union made me vote the way I didn't want too. Anyone that thinks a union has that power is a fool.

what I don't understand is rather than just rejecting the proposal outright, why doesn't the union at least come back with a counter-proposal? They have a massive staff all pulling down six figure salaries, including the head of the union, Lambert. Why not put students first for a change, and try to reach a collaborative solution, instead of just sabre rattling in the press and appearing like old world dinosaurs? The union is extremely well funded, with a lot of resources at hand. Surely they are capable of more than just saying no and acting like little spoiled kids. They know how to act like children, but they sure don't mind exploiting them for their benefit. The union really looks like the bad guys here, but they have been the bad guy for a long time now, and I don't see that changing, even if the NDP is elected in May.

MyWorld wrote:The union is greedy in its demands, not the teachers as a whole. These people work hard and deserve to be paid for it. Many of these teachers may leave for other provinces if they cannot make a living here. How will classrooms be impacted by a teacher shortage? This is just a ploy for the government, how much control due you really think teachers will have if this go through?

teacher shortage? Are you serious? Do you have no inkling of the thousands of teachers right now out there looking for work?

teacher shortage? Are you serious? Do you have no inkling of the thousands of teachers right now out there looking for work?[/quote]


I'm not sure how many teachers are unemployed. Could you tell me and also why our liberal government has decided to offer an incentive for students if they go into education. This was just in the news in the last week and a topic was started about it!!!

Maybe they want to get rid of the old wood.

danmartin wrote:Could you tell me and also why our liberal government has decided to offer an incentive for students if they go into education.

I don't know why anyone would want to go into education for a career given the way that profession gets treated by Government, the public, parents and students. A very thankless career choice if you ask me.

Incentives? You mean incentives like imposed "collective aggrements"? Wage freezes? Not much of an incentive there...

And someone mentioned $40K starting salary like it was a lot of money. It is not. My sister is just getting started in that path and she can barely pay her bills on that salary - forget about student loan payments.

Oh boo hoo.
If your sister can barely pay her bills on that, perhaps she needs to learn something about budgeting.
Like I said 40k as a starting wage. Double that in about 10 years REGARDLESS OF PERFORMANCE.

I am against removing the right to strike, regardless of which side wants what. (not taking sides on who's right or not here)

I'd rather ban corporate/organizational lobbying of government than ban striking.

Woodenhead wrote:I am against removing the right to strike, regardless of which side wants what. (not taking sides on who's right or not here)

I'd rather ban corporate/organizational lobbying of government than ban striking.

Why not ban both? Why do you support the exploitation of children?