Seventy percent of teachers in the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) have voted ... and they voted overwhelmingly (90%) in support of strike action to meet their demands.
So here's my thought ... and I know I am not alone in it ... if it is part of the business of government, then it should be considered essential. If not, then it should be in the private sector.
My personal opinion is that education, health, policing, ferries, highways etc are all essential to the people of BC and therefore NO strikes should allowed. I also believe that if government and unions cannot reach a settlement through bargaining, then disputes should be decided by an independent arbitrator, and a binding contract imposed on both government and the union involved.
So ... what do you think? I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops ... with a few more thoughts from one conservative.
Read the full story in the Province newspaper, on the BCTF strike vote, click HERE
2 comments:
Free Collective bargaining is a right. A fundamental right.
It is entirely possible for essential service levels to be maintained, but there is a mountain of difference between legislating workers to end a strike with the imposition of a "collective" agreement, and an "essential service".
In BC, Paramedics were in a legal strike position, had gone nearly a decade without anything but a 1% raise, and remained ON THE JOB. The BC Liberals used the H1N1 "epidemic" and the Olympics as their justification for legislating and end to the Paramedics' strike and imposing an extension of their "collective" agreement. This eliminated any signing bonuses, and ensured that people who live, work and commute in the country's most expensive cities fell further and further behind. While nurses and other public sector unions got double digit increases, paramedics got NOTHING. they were promised that if they accepted nothing "now" they would be compensated later. Well, later came and the paramedics were told to pee up a rope.
As a coupe de grace, they indicated they would no longer negotiate with the paramedics union. They would have to join the same bargaining unit as hospital janitors, laundry staff and cooks, and would have to be paid according to their pay grid!
When a contract is shoved down your throat, while you were still on the job, and when you are treated with such utter contempt, the sense of injustice and the impact on your morale is immeasurable.
Every member of a union in BC, and I can assure you there are MANY, took this as a personal affront, and it will certainly be interesting to see where the past record with the Liberals impacts Teachers, Nurses, Paramedics, City workers, hospital paramedicals, and BCGEU staff that not only suffered to unlateral bullying of an imposed contract, but wage roll-backs as well.
The future governing party in BC will have to show it respects organized labour and that intends to abide by the principles of COLLECTIVE bargaining.
Any noise whatsoever that the Conservative party supports stripping away collective bargaining rights, or abuse of the term "Essential Service" will find itself on the extreme outside. I would be very careful about making such assertions.
Thank you for your comments Ian.
Having been in a union workplace on two occasions in the past, I can say I do understand and appreciate the importance of unions.
I am still however of a "personal" belief that there has to be a better way to settle disputes than having strikes -- or lockouts -- in the public sector (education, health, policing, transportation etc)
That does not mean however that I want or wish government to impose settlements. Instead I think that both sides should bargain in 'good faith'. If no settlement can be agreed on however, it is my "personal" belief that one should be brought about by an "independent" mediator.
I do NOT believe a settlement should be imposed or dictated by government.
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