BC Labour Troubles

There are labour rumbles in the province of BC.

Some are calling for a general strike, and I think it's high time we had one. We nearly had one last year, in support of the HEU, but at the last minute, it was called off. How disappointing. The people of BC need to show the government that we are not willing to concede or stand down when it comes to our rights. We have a right to protest, and we have a right to bargain for our own collective agreements - what's the point of a union, when you can't bargain?? There is no ability to bargain, when the government can just legislate the unions back to work, and force a contract down their throats. It happened before, it's happening now, and it will continue to happen until we take a stand.

I feel highly frustrated when I hear comments from people that they don't understand what all the fuss is about, with the teachers - that they should just go back to work. There was a letter in one of the local papers from a grade 12 student arguing that she believed the BCTF strike was all about the teachers getting a raise, and that it is all rhetoric and spin, when Jinny Sims says they are trying to bargain for the students' education. I have one comment in response to that student - do your homework.

Teachers want an appropriate cap for class sizes. They do not want a ratio of 40:1 in the classroom. They want increased funding to libraries and special education teachers/students. Yes, I'm guessing that the 0% wage increase is also an issue, as it was an issue with my own union too. With inflation, the salaries of public employees is actually decreasing since the salaries do not increase to match the rate of inflation. Also, in the minds of the general public (this is a generalization), teachers aren't valued as much as they should be - they are educators and not babysitters or daycare providers. They teach and enrich your children's lives through the paid and unpaid work that they do, whether it's by offering extra help after school, or coaching a sports team.

I work in the education system as well, and I volunteer my time to educate children outside my work time through tutoring and as a volunteer with Scouts Canada. I enjoy my extra-curricular activities, but it can be a lot of work, and it can definitely be under-valued by some.

People forget that this isn't the first time the government has legislated people back to work, and forced contracts down union's throats. In the past years, since 2001, some HEU and CUPE locals (including my own) have been legislated back to work, and forced to accept a 0% wage increase and increased work load.

The BC Liberals have created their own problem - they've created a province full of discontented and frustrated labourers. It will be interesting to see how everything else will unfold as the week(s) go by. We have long memories, and will not forget this the next time we cast a ballot.