To Play or Not to Play is the Question
With a Strike Vote set for Sep 20-22, BC High School Hoops fans/players/coaches will be eagerly awaiting the result of the ballots this fall. This is our version of the "NHL Lockout" dispute that wiped out an entire season of play. A "YES" vote would pretty much dash the hoop dreams of many of our Province's best and brightest basketball stars.
So, what is this latest labor dispute all about?? Is it about the Quality of our Education? Is it about Job Security?? Wage increases??
None of the above, this impasse has more to do with Politics (Campbell's Liberals vs BC Teacher's Federation) than it is about Teachers, Students, and Education.
So what is the BCTF negotiating for:
- better classroom conditions (ie. lower student-teacher ratio, ie. more teacher jobs)
- better pay
- bargaining rights restored (ie. right to go on strike)
Well, Point #1 is really moot as classroom enrollments have been steadily declining, while the BC Government has been adding teachers to the payroll. Hmm, OK, what about better pay. Well, frankly, everyone wants better pay.
So that leaves us with the right to go on strike. Yes, the BCTF trump card, always has, always been, and always will be. Take away the right to strike and the teachers will have no more power (or so the BCTF has led it's members to believe).
So essentially, the Teacher's Union is going on strike to keep their right to strike. Campbell has locked the Union out to fragment it's members and take away the Union's right to strike by bringing to law "Education as an essential service". If you think that Campbell is out of his mind and will never win, remember that this exact legislation has already been passed into law in several provinces.
A Strike now would be a nasty piece of business. The last strike in 2001, although short, did irreparable damage to BC High School Athletics. A majority of Teacher Coaches did not return to coaching duties leaving a huge void that is felt to this day.
Let's hope that cooler heads prevail and we can put this behind us and focus on Hoops.
So, what is this latest labor dispute all about?? Is it about the Quality of our Education? Is it about Job Security?? Wage increases??
None of the above, this impasse has more to do with Politics (Campbell's Liberals vs BC Teacher's Federation) than it is about Teachers, Students, and Education.
So what is the BCTF negotiating for:
- better classroom conditions (ie. lower student-teacher ratio, ie. more teacher jobs)
- better pay
- bargaining rights restored (ie. right to go on strike)
Well, Point #1 is really moot as classroom enrollments have been steadily declining, while the BC Government has been adding teachers to the payroll. Hmm, OK, what about better pay. Well, frankly, everyone wants better pay.
So that leaves us with the right to go on strike. Yes, the BCTF trump card, always has, always been, and always will be. Take away the right to strike and the teachers will have no more power (or so the BCTF has led it's members to believe).
So essentially, the Teacher's Union is going on strike to keep their right to strike. Campbell has locked the Union out to fragment it's members and take away the Union's right to strike by bringing to law "Education as an essential service". If you think that Campbell is out of his mind and will never win, remember that this exact legislation has already been passed into law in several provinces.
A Strike now would be a nasty piece of business. The last strike in 2001, although short, did irreparable damage to BC High School Athletics. A majority of Teacher Coaches did not return to coaching duties leaving a huge void that is felt to this day.
Let's hope that cooler heads prevail and we can put this behind us and focus on Hoops.
posted by BCSportsFanatic at 9:56 PM
2 Comments:
Just want to clarify some stuff. One: Do you have any statistical data to back up your claims? You said "classroom enrollmetns have been steadily declining" and "BC Government has been adding teachers to the payroll". Can you confirm any of these claims with statistical data? Also what is the current ratio of students to teachers? And what does the BCTF wan the ratio to be?
BTW, in 2001 it was not a 'strike' per sa more of a work stopage.
PS: you seem really hard on the teachers. >_>;;
I got the information from the BC liberals website.
I'm hard on everyone, that's what I do, I take shots...
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