Pct2017

This piece of fantasy is starting to creep into the conversation at an alarming rate. I suspect it is being floated by the BCTF and is targeting those with particularly low IQ's. Let us set this straight:In May, the whiney teachers launched "Level One" job action which precluded teachers from doing school work out of school hours. Late in May or early in June, teachers began rotating strikes. Around the same time in June, the employer imposed a Lock Out which mimicked the Level One job action. They did so in order to impose a 10% wage reduction. The BCTF cried fowl and ran to the LRB to get the wage reduction overturned. They lost The next day after the LRB ruling, the BCTF called a strike vote which passed. Two weeks before the end of the school term, the teachers went on full strike, which is still in effect. Technically, the lock out is still in effect, but all it still does is preclude the teachers from doing work out of school hours. It is the whiney teachers and their dinosaur union who have closed the schools and continue to do so. As for what the government chooses to do with the money not spent on teachers salaries during the strike, well that is their prerogative, is it not. I hope this clears up the mystery for you there Wilbur. If you did not understand any of the words, contact me and I will try to help you.

Much has been made out here in BC about how the $40/day is a terrible idea and will backfire on the government. Well, it is going to be interesting to see just what proportion of eligible parents sign up for the funds. As I understand it, a parent has to sign up online and then will be reimbursed after the strike is over. So, if people who are ideologically driven refuse to sign up, then the numbers will be low, indicating inherent support for the BCTF. And of course, the opposite is also true. As I have said many times, public opinion does not matter a whit on this issue, but we are going to see a very accurate representation of that opinion, and it will involve direct users of the school system rather than the public at large. The other thing that I find fascinating in this mess is that the BC NDP is amazingly silent on this issue. Almost makes one think that they agree with the actions of the governing Liberals.

So, Vince Ready the miracle worker has agreed to facilitate (not mediate) these negotiations. I have it on good authority that the first thing he did was put Jim Iker in front of a chalk board and write "I promise to stop being a greedy, ignorant pig and I also promise to stop telling lies to both the BCTF membership as well as the general public" one hundred times. He then produced a leather strap and said "OK Jimbo, we are going old school with these negotiations. Do not make me use this". Seriously, this really is the last chance for the whiny teachers to do what all of us know to be obvious, and that is to accept the offer on the table now. Otherwise, it will be October before they get legislated back, thus being forced to take the offer on the table now.

And Dre, you kind of forgot to post the rest of the Angus Reid poll which stated that although respondents stated that they supported the BCTF over the government, only 21% of them supported the BCTF's wage demands. And you obviously do not live in BC (or Alberta) because out here, we put very little faith in polls after the last provincial election.

Comparative based wages are one part of a negotiated settlement, but please do not confuse them with being the sole factor involved. There is also supply and demand as well as work force mobility to consider. We all know about the supply and demand of teachers in BC. Way fewer jobs than there are teachers, so there is no pressure there to increase wages. And to the best of my knowledge, there is very little workforce mobility with our whiny teachers. They love to complain about how someone in Swift Current, Saskatchewan can make $100/month more than here in BC, but none of them seem to be moving to Swift Current or any other Canadian city. And even if one or two did leave, there would be 500 applicants for their job on the superintendent's desk the next week. The fact that we pay our teachers less (although I do actually not believe that it is by that much when you take into account our lower income taxes and the teachers higher total benefit packages when compared to other provinces) is testament to this fact. Look, the teachers of BC are going to get the exact same deal that was available to them on July 1, 2013. Anyone over the age of 12 know that, except for our exceptionally slow thinking teachers.

This mentality drives me nuts. No, you cannot fund an ongoing increase such as a raise for teachers with a one time savings. This is really, really basic accounting. If you do not understand this, then you are not trying to understand this. But, hey if your hero is Jim Iker, he trumped that stupidity with his assertion that money spent on the roof of BC Place should have been given to his whiny membership. Again, the depth of stupidity in that thought process is staggering and really shows just how difficult it must be to negotiate with a union that has absolutely no grasp on reality. Any raises given will go on forever but one time savings are just that, one time events. They will not be available next year to fund the raises. As for this being an attempt to buy votes, that is an equally unrealistic statement. The next election is almost three years away which in political life is about a thousand eons away.

At the end of the day, you have to ask what the message is that the duly elected BC government is putting out there. They are clearly stating that there is no settlement on the horizon due to the abject stupidity of BC teachers and their outdated union, so we are going to soften the financial burden caused by this strike on families with kids who are too young to stay home when they should be in school. The really delightful part is that they are funding the program with money not spent on teachers wages. Similarly, the CUPE settlement has a clause in their recent settlement that states any time lost for support staff at schools due to the whiny teacher's strike will be paid for by the government. The government is very astutely isolating the core problem in this strike and softening the hardships suffered by all other parties. Pretty brilliant if you were to ask me.

But I must add that I am very impressed with the fact that you have contributed two consecutive posts that are entirely comprised of your own thoughts. No cartoons or links to all of the usual left wing sites. Well done there young fellow.

Yeah, and a larger raise than all other public sector unions. And Viagra. And massages. And paid time off when their cousin's best friends hamster dies. Yup, they really are fighting the selfless fight to put as much gold in their own pockets as humanly possible. Man, it is a long leap from there to fighting for democracy, but I guess we all have our own belief systems. Yours are just a wee bit loopier than most.

As I have tried to impart in you many, many times, public opinion matters not a whit in this strike. There will be pressure come October to legislate the whiny teachers back, but that will come from the whiny teachers who will have gone three or so months between paycheques, and no strike pay due to the embezzling ways of the BCTF. The average teacher at that point will be begging the Liberals to legislate their sorry asses back to work, and they will gladly accept the same offer that was available to the in June of 2013. As for the dedication of teachers out walking the picket lines, well you really are not from BC or even you would know what a joke that statement is. Here in my town, a new roof is being put on one of the middle schools with nary a picketing teacher to interfere. And the high school band camp went ahead on school property, put on by BCTF members. The lingering question being asked around here is are the teachers on strike or on their annual bloated summer holidays. If they are on strike, they are certainly non-committal.

Young Socialist, where have you been, you little Scamp. We missed your inane comments around here. So, a grade twelve student writes a letter and this is newsworthy to you. Well, I guess that makes sense as she is likely your peer. But, let us take a look at what she says. First off she states that she likes public school more than private school so much that she cannot wait to get there every day. And this must be true because she goes there 279 days a year, which is odd given that teachers "work" about 185 days a year (can you imagine a job where you get one day off for every day worked!?!?). But, hang on. Our whiny teachers here in BC are always harping that the "over-crowded" classrooms are not conducive to student learning. Young Justine obviously missed that part of her teachers indoctrination. But her greatest mistake is asking in a letter to the Premier just when she will be able to write exams and attend class. Hmmmm, shouldn't she be asking Mr Iker that question. Or maybe at her tender age, she does not realize that it is the greedy, whiny teachers who have withdrawn their services because the mean old government will not provide them with massages and Viagra. When one group is on strike there Justine, they and they alone can call it off and get back to work.

Pretty funny how even though our whiny BC teachers are the the middle of their bi-annual strike, interest in them has died, even on this forum. They say the opposite to love is not hatred, but rather apathy. Well, it is a select few who love the BCTF, but their is certainly a growing apathy towards them. It is actually a brilliant strategy, much like dealing with a young child who is throwing a tantrum. Simply ignore them. Eventually they will give up and accept whatever scraps the taxpayer feels like tossing them.

Hey, maybe you should become the president of the BCTF. At least you were smart enough to look at his website, something that appears to have eluded Mr Iker et al. Just outstanding leadership once again displayed by the TF.

Oh great, now we will have whiny teachers serving us Subway. "I would give you mustard on that sub if only they would hire three assistants for me. And, when on earth do I get to go home. I have been here 6 hours. Continuously. I am going to need that massage tonight."

You know there Socialist, as you grow up, you will learn that there are times that it is perfectly ok not to answer a question, particularly when you are going to look like a complete ass if you do answer it. So what you are telling us is that because the teachers lost 10% of three weeks wages, they need $5,000 to make up for it. So, let's do some math. Most teachers spread their pay over 44 weeks and forego getting paid over the summer holidays. So, divide by 3, multiply by 10, multiply by 44. You are saying that the average teacher gets paid $733,330.40 per year. Well, that certainly clears that question up. I now know that for sure everything that they are doing is for the students!! So, if they really are getting paid $733,330.40/year, could you explain the food bank idea? BTW, the average teacher makes something in the range of $75,000/year, so the most she lost was $511.36 due to the 10% wage rollback. Must be living pretty close to the financial edge if $511.36 is considered dire. But, hey, anything is possible when you are dealing with teachers.

I see the BCTF's latest publicity stunt is to set up food banks for the poor teachers who have lost 10% of their wages for two weeks plus 5 days pay for the strike. Yep, really speaks to the intelligence of teachers. So there young Socialist, last week you spoke so glowingly of the sacrifices that the selfless teachers were going to make in order to get back to teaching the children. Please explain to all of us in 100 words or less just where asking for $5000 per teacher as a signing bonus fits in with that particular thought. No citing your usual loopy websites or using other's words. Time starts now.

And it looks like that support is resulting in great achievements for the students, right? Not. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/manitobas-bottom-of-the-class-234369251.html "For Manitoba, whose scores had dropped from the middle of the pack among provinces in 2006 almost to the bottom in 2009, it was yet another day of really bad news. Our students scored eighth in math -- only Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador were worse -- and ninth in reading and science, ahead of only P.E.I. Even worse, Manitoba's scores continue to drop every three years, to the point our students are below the global average in math this time, and barely above the mark in reading and science." Guess the NDP govt in Manitoba better throw some more money at education in that province to solve that problem.

Nope, I am just way smarter than you are, obviously.

If this whole teachers mess gets settled before the end of June, here is what they will settle at: Term - 5 years Salary - 6.5% over the five years. Signing bonus increased to $2,000. Benefits - no change to current bloated package. If the salary component is greater than 6.5%, then the TF gives back some bennies to balance. Class size - current standards, but instead of being legislated, they will be set in the collective agreement. Class composition - no change, same as class size. More non-BCTF EA's will be hired to address concerns, but that will not be in this collective agreement, nor should it be. Outstanding grievances - union agrees to drop all of them. Govt appeal to Griffin ruling dropped. Govt will reimburse cost of bennies for June. No compensation for individual teachers for lost wages in lock out. Of course, all of this would have been readily available to the BCTF 12 months ago, but that is how they conduct their business.

I am curious as why you would call out BC's post for lack of substance yet you say nothing in regards to young Socialists blather? Could it not be that you are blinded by ideology now could it? OK, having said that, I still appreciate your being able to muzzle his neo-liberal crap at least for a little while. But I am still really glad that he is arguing on your side of this debate. It would really suck to have him representing something akin to my point of view.

Once again, do you read what you post? "Teachers should get the same salary increase as other unions in BC" - 65% "Teachers should get a higher salary increase than other unions in BC" - 16% Great research there boy.

You are asking the wrong question. It should be why are you skipping class? My bets are on Socialist being a school age kid living in a pretend world afforded to him/her by the anonymity of the internet. Let us put it this way, if he/she is not thus, then there has been a great deal of arrested development.

Michael Hardner and Cybercoma - do you still have complete and unquestioning faith in public polling after the Ontario election?

That is one funny post. Thank you.

Looks like someone needs another stern lecture from West Coast Runner about using the term Neo-lib. Over to you WCR.