On June 1, 2012, Premier Christy Clark announced a province-wide 10-point anti-bullying strategy to help ensure every child feels safe, accepted and respected. Clark said: “That’s why when I became Premier, I promised to address bullying in our school system as a high priority for my government.”
Flash forward to May 16, 2014, when government bargaining spokesperson Peter Cameron said teachers’ pay would be docked.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender said Cameron’s comment wasn’t a threat. The Oxford Dictionary defines threat: “A statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.”
So if you believe Fassbender, you’ll also believe the government is removing the toll from the new Port Mann Bridge.
On May 21, the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association told the BCTF that effective May 26, teachers will be docked five per cent of their pay for participating in job action. If teachers then launch rotating strikes, teachers’ salaries will be docked 10 per cent.
So while Clark promised to address bullying in our school system, it is unfortunate that she and her subordinates see nothing wrong with bullying and threatening the children’s teachers.
David Buckna