[Richard]

They lost their right to a negotiated deal period!

Lily I must say you are a perfect example of what Cambell is putting all of his hopes behind. There are only two ways to play this little bullshit game.


1: Liberal way- Get Joe and Jane average to think it is all the reachers fault because they just want more money...greedy bastards!

2:Teachers- Hope like hell the public is informed enough to know that there is more at stake then just THEIR wages.

Most of these things are duly noted by Shep. Untill you walk a mile in those shoes you have nothing to base your condemnation.

[Joe_Stalin]

The teachers figure they are above the law because they have the children as hostages so to speak. Anyone love paying income taxes? It is a law but if you do not like it do not pay. See what happens.
A $200k a day fine is appropriate IMHSCO.

I suspect the teachers have been assured that in a crunch they will be backed up by a general strike.

[marq=left]Solidarity for ever.[/marq]

[ridenrain]

This union had it's problems with the NDP before, so let's not just blame all this on that evil, right wing capitalist. The NDP's track record with the teachers is less than perfect, and that's why their being very polite about this whole thing.
I'd like to see them all fired. like Regan did with the air traffic controllers. Illegal strikes and the use of children as pawns is far beyond a simple workers union. This is beyond lobbying for "childrens rights".
With the NDP trying to distance themselves from their big labor support, it would be interesting to see what they would do.

[PostManPat]

lily lily:

Education is an essential service and the teachers have no business walking off the job. They know their actions are illegal but they don't care. What kind of message are they sending to our kids?



Both sides need to get back to the table with the intention of bargaining in good faith.

The fact that teachers are "essential service" can be argued forever. One of my teachers put it like this ( with regards to the strikes that happened in BC a few months ago with hospital workers ):

"When they want on strike they were deemed essential service, which ment that they must have enough people in the building to run it. All you need to run a school is a principle and thats only for legal reasons"

"When a essential service is not there, it can cause harm to people. Teachers go out of commission for 2 months of the year and guess what, no one dies. I'd like to see nurses and paramedics do the same"

It all comes down to the definition of essential service

[canucker]

I doubt their walk-out will be very lengthy, if it is, they are sure gonna hear it and lose alot of the support.

[QBC]

lily lily:

It was the Liberals that made teaching an essential service, not the SoCreds.

Socreds-BC Liberals..........There's a difference? Oh right, different coloured logo's.

See Lily, if the teachers being an essencial service was arrived at by a vote of the people not those in power, then I would agree with it. This law stops the teachers having the right to bargain. Although I don't like the fact that the students are the people to really suffer for it, but people need to stand up and stop the government from what it does best, taking your freedoms away in the name of making your life better.

[Snow]

Yeah i'm not too happy about this especially in grade 12. But I do have to admit, it does give me time to have everything caught up. But one thing that I have to disagree with is that, I don't see them standing up for what they believe in or even breaking a law. Really I couldn't care less how they go about it, so don't think they're sending some kind of message to us just because they walk off, because the average student doesn't even think about it. It's really just another day off to us. But I hope their done doing whatever they're doing by the end of the week so I can get back and continue on with wasting my time listening to teachers. I actually teach myself most of the things that we're learning and only consult a teacher when I have a problem.

[ShepherdsDog]

lily lily:

So it's okay to break the law if you really believe in what you're doing? Does that go for every law or only the inconvenient ones?


The teachers aren't negotiating in good faith either. They claim they're doing this for the kids, that they have the students' best interests at heart... then ask for 15% over 3 years.

Bottom line - the teachers work ~9 months of the year, for ~6½ hours a day. Some put in extra time in coaching and other activities, but not all of them do.

Not a bad gig, all things considered.

The raise I agree is excessive. It should only be 12 % over four years. But about only working 6 1/2 hrs a day 9 mths out of the year, you haven't got a hot clue what you're talking about.

[ridenrain]

Sounds like their starting to crack a bit. The votes to go on strike are not adding up and some teachers are crossing the lines. Teachers are not dumb people and I would doubt that they do have the 80% they think they have.

Good old CKNW!

[Motorcycleboy]

I don't think the question is whether teachers work hard or not. Teaching is like any other profession. There are those who are committed and those who aren't.

That said, it's pretty hard to argue that when you earn 70k + a year for 8 or 9 months work, with an excellent pension, medical, dental, etc that you're hard done by.

I saw some loser named Frank Bonvino or Frank Bozo or something on the picket line being interviewed by Global News. The reporter asked him if being on strike in defiance of the law didn't send out the wrong message to his students. Frank Bozo's reply?

"I can't think of anything more honourable than to teach my students the importance of standing up for something you believe in."

And what, exactly, does Frank believe in? Why, a big raise for himself and all his buddies, that's what.

Who do these guys think their kidding?

[xerxes]

This strike isn't so much about a raise as it is about the right to bargain collectively. A right the government ignored a few years ago when they imposed the current contract.

An unjust law is no law. - St. Augustine.

[Motorcycleboy]

xerxes xerxes:

This strike isn't so much about a raise as it is about the right to bargain collectively. A right the government ignored a few years ago when they imposed the current contract.

An unjust law is no law. - St. Augustine.

Don't try to glorify it. It's about better pay, benefits and pensions, like always.

Declaring teachers an essential service and removing their right to strike is not tantamount to removing their right to bargain collectively.

Compare the BC teachers illegal activity to that of Toronto Police, who are also in a battle with their political masters. Unlike the teachers though, the cops didn't just ignore the law and set up picket lines. They are acting responsibly, legally, and working within the system to acheive their goals.

I guess that's the difference between a profession that understands the importance of the rule of law compared to a bunch of renegade, whining union types who don't realize they're not steel workers.

[xerxes]

Wow we 've got a real hardened cynic here.

The essential service legislation is not a removal of rights. What is a removal of rights was the settlement the government imposed last time this dispute came up. What the BC Libs did was essentially say "Here's your contract, now piss off."

The gov't has to negotiate this time simply for the fact that 90% of the public sector union contracts expire next and how they deal with the teachers will set the bar for next year.

You can shit on the unions for only so long. Just ask the Gov. of California.

[ridenrain]

I don't think this is about money or benefits. I think this is a political attack on the rightfully elected government by hard-line union thugs.
All the rhetoric and saber-rattling over a general union strike is stock and trade for the NDP who are dreaming of more fast cat fiascos.

[xerxes]

Yeah becuase every party wishes for more scandals that result in its decimation in the next election.