PLUTO? URANUS?
The BC Teachers Federation continues to reach out from somewhere on that hitherto unknown planet they inhabit.
Their most recent kvetch includes demands for 10 days bereavement leave for the death of a friend, 26 weeks of paid compassionate leave and two sick days a month that can be saved up.
Oh, did we mention the 22% increase in wages?
They are completely mad, totally irresponsible and, at core, very much like the entitled children entrusted in their care most week days - about whom, by the way, they care not a whit.
I am in general sympathetic to and often downright supportive of unions.
But these thoughtless folks are the game-changers.
I have learned first hand over the years that large numbers of their own membership are embarrassed and horrified by this union and further, that they are sufficiently cowed by the activists at the top to remain ever silent.
Pity.
And pity all of us the adversarial atmosphere that has held strong these many, many years between teachers and government.
Who knows? Maybe someday in our wildest dreams, the BCTF will grow out of its jumpers and diapers and sun-flowered shirts and make the occasional real deal.
Union Prez, Susan Lambert, is pictured above.
14 comments:
The full title of this post should have been:
Ms. Lambert: Where do you pull your contract demands from: Pluto? Uranus?
But-but-but-its for the children, doncha know!!!
In Ontario Premier Harris instituted a professional college to make the teachers more accountable, like accountants or engineers. The union hated it. Is it a conflict of interest for a public servant to belong to a union? I'm beginning to wonder.
Cut salaries by 25%. Hire 20% more teachers.
Privatization.
Sooo, do they have to list out their friends by every Sept.1?
Whats the matter with all this fuss over the opening salvo in contract talks.
It's a negotiation, haven't you ever haggled before David? Workers start in the stratosphere, Management start in the basement, you meet somewhere in the middle.
From the bazaars of Marrakesh to the boardrooms it's the same thing, lets make a deal.
I apologize in advance for this rather long diatribe.
My son is a student at Lord Byng -- his French teacher (I won't name her) likes to check her Facebook account during class (which she leaves open on the computer, with no concern that a) the kids can see it; b) that it might be considered inappropriate; and c) that it sends a message that she is less than interested in her little charges and that it's really NOT all about the students). Did I mention that she also is in the habit of texting during class?
Toward the end of the first and second terms (although I understand that is going to be cut back to once per year) we are given the opportunity to set up 5 minute interviews with our childrens' teachers -- for the first term interviews we were unfortunately unable to get even one interview (and we weren't the only ones). Did they schedule another evening (I mean, we are talking 5 bloody minutes per student!)? Of course they didn't. I contacted each of my son's teachers by e-mail asking for some feedback in the form of a meeting or, at the very least, a phone call. Only one teacher met with me, the rest (with the exception of the aforementioned French teacher) replied that everything was fine and a meeting wasn't necessary. In order to get a basic (and I do mean basic) reply from the French teacher, I had to send two e-mail messages and leave two 'phone messages (the later a complaint to the counsellor) before a response was received. Perhaps I should have texted or Facebooked her!
Professional would be the last word I would use to describe this lot.
Mo.
I'm not sure what BC's education policy is, but one sure way to crimp this is to allow funding to follow students. (I think in the US they call it a voucher system.) The moment tax dollars follow the child is the moment the teachers union will have to endure cuts in order for the public system to remain competitive.
Only public service unions can get away with ridiculously high wages and benefits, since no politician will stand up to them and the public have no vote on their contract.
Public service employees should not be allowed to have union agreements, their wages and benefits should be set by the average of private industry wages and benefits.
Based on Stats Canada this would mean a decrease of about 15% for teachers, provincial and federal public servants and other government drones.
Here's how government union negotiations go:
Politician: I'll give you whatever you want as long as you vote for me.
Gubment union hog: Done.
Repeat
richfisher
To diverdarren,
Have you ever made an offer or received an offer where you laughed at the whatever was being negotiated? Did you respond or file it under G and put it out in your recycling bin? Negotiations where one party starts in basement means that other party should start in the attic not the stratosphere - with the middle ground being the middle floor? If this is how the BCTF is telling their teachers to teach our children how to negotiate, then our children will be asking for a lamborgini knowing full well the parents can only afford to drive a 10 year old car. Wonder why our children are going down the path that they are? Maybe we don't need to look any farther than this demand.
Having said that, my children have had wonderful teachers and each one has been very responsive and has been willing to meet me whenever I have asked. I also spend a great deal of time at the school and each of childrens' teachers receive a bouquet of flowers from me at the end of each year. So I truly believe that the BCTF does not respresent all teachers and many teachers love their kids - at least I know my kids teachers do.
And, while we're at it, there are far too many politicians, grossly overpaid, with gold plated pensions.
Campbell had the gall to thieve, a $60.000 per year increase for himself. His ministers got a whopping 27% raise too. Campbell's golden pension will be $2 million. Now he gets rewarded, for forcing the HST, selling our assets, a very cushy job as, ambassador to England. I believe I read for, $2 hundred thousand, a chef, a driver, and who knows what all the perks are. Again, we are stuck paying for that monster.
We need massive roll backs through this entire country. Starting at the very top. There is a recession on you know. However, I think that's just for the citizens. Politicians have no recessions.
But, of course the cost of living is going through the roof. Gas prices, food costs, hydro up to 53%, the HST has really hurt BC lower income people and seniors.
When corporations, keep jacking up their prices, people want more wage increases. If you roll back wages, for EVERYONE, they need to roll back prices too.
Who thinks, politicians will take a roll back in salary?
As a UK trained teacher with 3 years secondary school experience I was eligible to teach in elementary and tertiary educational institutions in BC. In the UK I was not required to be a member of a union and chose not to join. I am a professional and by definition that term excludes union membership.
The BCTF began as a professional organization but became one of the most strident and obnoxious unions in Canada. I empathize with the many excellent teachers who are forced to join the BCTF.
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