The B.C. Teachers’ Federation is a belligerent union. It continues to mislead the public with outlandish pronouncements and demands.
Let’s take the issue of mediation in the current dispute. When it became clear to the BCTF that the government isn’t going to budge from its net zero decree, it started asking for a mediator.
A mediator’s job and success is measured by coming down somewhere in the middle to conclude an agreement.
When the government agreed and it became clear to the BCTF that net zero still applies, they started ranting against this mediation.
Why should BCTF be exempt from net zero when other major public sector unions have signed on?
The province cannot afford more than net zero under the reality of its deficit. The province, i.e. the taxpayers of British Columbia, are making interest payments on the borrowed money.
The government wants to pay off that debt first. Do you like making interest payments on your credit card?
If getting a wage increase is so important to the BCTF, they can trade in some of their less used, but ample benefits.
Also, as for wage hikes it is not that no teacher is going to get a wage hike. All those on the step scale will automatically be getting wage hikes.
I respect teachers. I understand the majority of the public does too.
I submit that the BCTF, with its constant war-like stance, is not doing itself any favours.
But the BCTF views respect differently.
One, the BCTF wants the government to meet its demands for wage and benefit hikes, and two, it wants to have the sole control of education policy. Teachers equate not having their way with both with a lack of respect.
It does not compute.
Dave Bains
Surrey