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BC teachers are asking for trouble
British Columbia is Canada’s version of La La Land, and this Globe and Mail column outlines some typical antics, in this case concerning the teachers’ union. Perhaps because the province has only one teachers’ union (as opposed to Ontario which has four, engendering healthy competition among them and and marked lack of solidarity on occasion), the hubris of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) knows no bounds.
The BCTF has been so successful in negotiating bountiful contracts in the past that they’re starting to run out of things to ask for. So this time round their shopping list includes “a 26-week, fully-paid leave of absence per year for direct or indirect compassionate care ‘to any person’’ 10 days paid bereavement leave upon the death of any friend or relative (up from the five days teachers currently get); five paid days per year for professional activities (they currently get no allowance); two sick days a month that can be saved up”. And, of course, more money.
The BCTF’s demands are all the more ludicrous in light of the scandal we mentioned a couple of days ago involving the continued presence of convicted sex offenders and drug traffickers in the classroom.
This sort of nonsense gives teachers a bad name and turns the public against them. To those who would argue that the union is behind everything, I ask - why did 90% of BC teachers approve a strike if their demands are not met? Why will they refuse to attend staff meetings, do any paperwork, or run any extracurricular activities, starting in September?