A poisoned atmosphere, created on both sides of the bargaining table, is not going to lead to our children being the number one concern

John Rustad is the BC Liberal MLA for Nechako Lake, and he makes good use of social media to find out what people are thinking, and asking for their thoughts. 

A post he made the other day on Facebook caught my attention; this is what he asked:

"Many teachers volunteer for extracurricular activities making an enormous difference in student's lives. Here's the interesting question: if it's voluntary, why does the union have the ability to intimidate and force teachers to not participate? If it's not voluntary, then should it be classified as an illegal strike?"

I often will post comments to the queries and so I replied to him with the following:

I do not mean to be critical, but as I understand it, teachers have a pay scale for the roughly 200 days a year that they work.

Taking their pay over those 200 days, they make far more than most workers in the province. As I understand it, that pay also takes into account a day that is longer than regular classroom time (ie: prep), and I think it’s fair to say it would also cover some time outside the classroom for student activities.

The BCTF themselves have said the average maximum salary for a teacher is $74,353 ... based on 200 days, that works out to over $370 a day.

The choice to be a teacher, and to work 200 days a year, is one they make ... just as the salary I receive is based on roughly 240 days a year that I work. The only thing different is that I make FAR LESS than $370 a day.

I think that long forgotten in this whole discussion over teachers’ pay, is indeed the fact that they work for less days a year than most of us.

I also think long forgotten is that teachers are valued for what they do, which is reflected in the fact that they are paid a larger salary than most of us received, for less days worked.

I am NOT being critical of this --- only pointing out that through the years the work they do is, and has been valued, to a point where they make what I believe is a good salary.

I also believe that appreciation has been shown, in the salary they receive, for work they do outside of the classroom in being a part of the activities that make school fun for students.  That includes coaching sports teams … helping students in putting on plays and dramas … music … and much more.

I do not think for one minute that teachers do not care about their students, and their well-being. 

What I think however is that the leadership of the BC Teachers Federation have stirred up, and created, a caustic atmosphere.  They have forgotten, or choose to ignore the fact that we as parents, and taxpayers, do appreciate the work teachers do – both in and out of the classroom.

I believe the teachers union has also conveniently forgotten the points I have made with regards to the pay they receive.

I have no idea how we are going to get out of the mess that has been created over the past couple of decades.  What I do know however is that a poisoned atmosphere, created on both sides of the bargaining table, is not going to lead to our children being the number one concern. 

Instead we continue to have an adversarial approach to negations … a battle, in fact, where it seems like each side wants to beat the other into submission.

What do you think?

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops … with the thoughts of one conservative.