Imo000

......and the parents have to pay for daycare while this circus is in town.

Speedyellow993

I actually have a single parent Client that is forced to sell her condo because she was just scraping by and the few extra days she has had to take off work during the strikes have put her in a bad financial position. Not just the kids are being hurt by this striking.

Turbodan

Let's talk about guns, seems just as productive.
both topics, no one is changing their thinking. just going off on rants.
be careful this may move to OT and when the Americans get hold of it...look out.
Any ways happy new year to all these are 2 situations that will have to work themselves out.
what is worse than guns and unions? unions with guns
I almost forgot go 49ers!
carry on....

997 St-Donat

When is the last time education was a contributing factor in a FED or provincial election? The only time that some take notice its when their habit is disturb? Or when we buy the mapleleafs LOL ... Come on ! a one day strike... How many of you took their kids out of school for a week to take a vacantion ( saving a few bucks) ? I guess you dont Know how much it disturb the teacher, he's gonna works is butt to make sur it wont affect the sucess of the kids. As for beiing professionnal, i think the doctor example is bs. I'v got a lot of dr friend and my sister is one. After a few years, it all about $$$ . Most of them create god complex... My best friend postponed surgery ( de partners on is cell more then a few Time because the wind pick up on the lake!!! ( kitsurf ). Imagine the patient?!? After months waiting list... Ok, he's a brain but he's making 6 Times my salary for less days of works... After a x amount of surgery it not $$ to do more! Btw , i 'm quête the one who paid for is education, same fees as for me the teacher. Same loan dets after university... As a doctor or a engineer, an accountant but same salary? I wish!!! I' m not complaining , imo i'v got the best job in the world ... The one i wanted, when i went on strike, my student where cheering for me , because they Know that good teacher dont do it for the $$$ or the condition hell no ! If you want to attract good student and great teacher you need to up the condition. Because the
Real problem aint the unions... It is the quality of the teacher entering the profession... Who wants to be a teacher anymore? I guessed the huge pay and the superb condition should attact good prospect ?!?

Speedyellow993

I don't disagree that teachers are under appreciated and underpaid. My beef is with their Union. In The TDSB there is a line up a mile long for Jobs. Many teachers on the Sub list hoping for full time jobs. No lack of quality people wanting to teach even knowing the current political turmoil. I truly believe that there is no lack of quality Teachers available to teach. Lets face it.... No teacher ever wanted to become a teacher for the money. It's public knowledge how much a teacher makes. They teach because that's what they want to do.

Speedyellow993

Besides.... Many working in the private sector still would find the Teachers benifits and pay to be excellent.

petee_c

my 7 yr old and 9 yr olds are supporting the strike.....

we're lucky, as both strike days in our region have been on my wife's day off, so no loss of income for us, or need to take a vacation day.....

P

fanny bay r1

49er's well this is just getting silly - Go Hawks!!!

fanny bay r1

In my experience the Union (BCTF) and their militant positons through every govenment for the last 20-odd years has caused the degredation in the teaching profession - here in BC anyway. I always thought Ont had more sense - well maybe not!!

BTW - kudos for you for teaching at the elementary level - my son never saw a male teacher until Jr High - the feminization of education system has been extremely detrimental to boys in general!!

eddy915

I'm not sure exactly which area of Ontario you live or how the compensation compares to GTA. However, we have clients that are teachers in the GTA and the compensation is much higher than you indicated. This also doesn't take into account all the benefits that are far better than the private sector.

With that being said, unions are horrible for society except in 3rd world countries where there are a lack of labour laws which protect the workers.

Just my opinion. I have no sympathy at all for teachers or any union for that matter. They should have the right to strike...but those who do should not expect to be gainfully employed after doing so. Nobody is forcing them to work.

PG993

Christien,

I want to make a few comments to illustrate my opinion on this. This is not an exhaustive argument because im not privy to all the information as you are but you will see what I'm driving at.

1. I don't see how you can say this." However they aren't paid for extracurricular, so it's absolutely their right to withhold those services.

heres how i see it.

teachers attend work for 6.5 hours a day from 9:00 to 3:30. take out 1 hr lunch and add 30 min for break and its 6 hrs paid work. all other public and private sectors jobs are 8 hours a day from 9 to 5. take out 1 hr lunch and add 30 in for breaks which results in 7.5 paid work hours. I think this results in 1 hours of missed work for teachers vs. other similar jobs every day. Why dont teachers stay till 4:30 to add the extra hour like everyone else so we don't have to call it "extra curricular" and just call it work like everyone else does.

2
Here's another "tid bit" since you are comparing. My wife has same education as most teachers. in fact more education since she has a masters. she also works for the ontario government in a professional capacity. She gets 60K after 20 years. When she started she had 2 weeks vacation and it took her 15 years to get 6 weeks vacation, and not in the summer or xmass eclusively. she needs to take slotted/revolving vacation with the other employees.

a teacher starting today gets 8 weeks vacation immediately another another 2 weeks for xmass which gives you a total of 10 weeks paid vacation. in 10 years work they earn 90+K.

3.
You don't need to do any math to get hourly rates just look at the big picture and you start to see why everyone is so pissed at the situation. It simply does not add up.

I have lots of friends who went to school with me in University and who are teachers now. I know one thing is for certain the ones who went directly into teaching from school are constantly complaining and holding the union line. The ones who actually first worked in industry (prior to becoming teachers) , even for just a couple of years (as say engineers, or lab techs, or in sales) don't complain at all. This later group knows the reality of what it takes to attain and keep a well paid job in industry (never mind being self employed) while the first group has absolutely no idea of how good the teaching profession in Ontario actually is.

I've aways said and still believe that there is no easier or better way to live your life IF you're satisfied with 90k/ year. Teaching is the only game in town.

I'm not aiming to offend you or your wife or any of my teacher friends with my narrow view. However, I really think teachers have been drinking the "union cool aid" way too long to see reality.

paul

Bill N

OK, teachers may be underpaid or overpaid, and unions may be the devil incarnate or the savior of the middle class, but what about the point that Chris raised in his OP...that the legislation seems to forbid consideration of human rights. Are we really indifferent to that?

Imo000

Strike was called off at 3:00am.

I work in the public sector and it's not a 40hr but a 35 hr work week.

dawich

+1

997 St-Donat

+1 good argument on both sides, just beware of the bashing especially in front of the kids... Because this will affect the quality of their learning... Respect is the core of a good learning relationship...

The real important question is wich canadian team Will make the playoffs?
I'm guessing 2 maybe...

Btw, i'm moving to ont. Because our conditions isn't nearly as good... Here in pq!!!