Teachers Rep Feels Betrayed By MLAs
Thursday, March 1, 2012 @ 11:31 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Prince George-Mackenzie Liberal MLA Pat Bell says he is in agreement with the President of the Prince George and District Teachers Association on a couple of the issues surrounding the current teachers dispute.
Bell says he and Shirley Bond met recently with Matt Pearce and “I’m not sure that what we’ve done is all that different from what Matt was asking for which was basically a mediator. He seemed to accept the notion that we have a zero-zero mandate. Everyone else in the public service has accepted that except for cabinet ministers who have actually had a 10 percent rollback. That’s not commonly known but since we’ve had a deficit position our collective salaries have gone down by 10 percent. I’m fine with that by the way I think that’s absolutely appropriate. So I think perhaps we need to do a better job getting the facts out there for teachers because really this is a mediated process that we’re recommending. A lot of the issues in terms of them being able to negotiate class size and composition is back on the table. What we’ve said is let’s try and get a mediator in place end of June. They’ll make recommendations and hopefully we can get to a successful conclusion.”
Pearce says he went to Victoria and met with Bell and Bond and felt he had a good meeting. But he says today “I feel that they absolutely lied to my face. I asked Shirley Bond why her government hates teachers and she said that really upset her, that teachers think this government hates them. And then we see Bill 22, which is the most concerted attack on a group of British Columbians I’ve ever seen in legislation.”
Bell says if you’re a parent you’re probably looking at three days of disruption at the beginning of next week before things get resolved. The Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister also says that he and Matt Pearce agree on another thing, that “the system is broken and we need to find a better way of working with teachers because having disruption of this nature year after year doesn’t serve anyone well, it certainly doesn’t serve students well.”
Comments
No, everyone else in the “public service” have not accepted the notion of a zero-zero mandate. The HEU and others are just starting negotiations. They have already had two years of zero and are not accepting the notion of another zero-zero mandate.
If they don’t stand together with the teachers though, they will be getting more of the same – maybe worse.
Boo Pat Bell and Shirley Bond! But, don’t be too upset, Pearce. What else did you expect from an BC Liberal MLA? You should have seen that coming.
You know, charging the BCTF $1.3 million/day and each teacher $475/day if they strike more than 3 days at the beginning and 1 day/week after that is so dictatorial that I am 100% sure now that the BC Lib’s are NOT getting my vote come election time. NO WAY.
I say to the BCTF: Strike, and Strike as long as you have to. It’s the only way you are going to make any headway, fines be damned. Why should you have to pay for exercising your right to strike when the gov’t just legislated away any power that right gives you? You shouldn’t!
I can’t believe the government got the BCTF’s approval for such an agreement. Oh wait… They didn’t! I also can’t believe the BC Labour Board agreed to these restrictions.
Matt Pearce the Drama Queen.
Fine em and fire em.
I hope no-one mistakes my opinion that other unions should stand with the teachers against the government as fully supporting the teachers.
During their last strike in 2005, on my day off, I went down to walk the picket line with the teachers at a school near where I live. I didn’t get a single “thanks for showing your support”. As a result, I never went back. This is typical of their attitude and it is what puts a lot of people off.
That being said, it is in the best interest of every other union and non-union person to stand up to the government and their fascist ways.
fas·cism
â â[fash-iz-uhm]
noun
1.
( sometimes initial capital letter ) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Only the loosing side complains.
He spoke: Only the losing side complains.
Can’t argue with that one! :)
Hard to feel sorry for Pat Bell’s claim of a 10% roll back after getting anywhere from a 20 to 40+% increase in wage a few years ago. I’m calling BS as I bet they gave themselves an increase somewhere else. Its do as I say not as I do governemnt policy. Spin it so the people fighting to keep a middle class are the bad guys.
All of a sudden from out of the blue we are told cabinet ministers have taken a 10%rollback.
Who says the rest of the public service has accepted a 0-0 mandate?
I for one haven’t accepted anything yet. How could I? I haven’t had any info regarding negotiations placed in front of me as of yet.
He said they have taken a collective 10% lowering of salaries!! That means some mlas have quit ( 2 by elections ) and probably a cut for the back bench libs. Ask him directly I’d HE has personally taken a 10% rollback.?
Gett’inreal sick and tired of these teachers and Quebec style demands. Hope they’re legislated back soonest. Wonder what this is costing single working moms and dads province wide?
Hm. I’m a single working mom. Go figure, Slim2229! I support the BCTF!
Well, perhaps some are not you and have to stay home, lose wages maybe, I really can’t support a union that’s lost their reality in this day and age. My experience is the union pays lip service to their employees, the NDP pays lip service to the unions. That’s the only party when they were in govenment, that put me on a picket line. Unions, I feel have lost their lustre. With all the laws governing employers and employees rights, most good employees are paying for smoke and mirrors games like this one.
15% in this day and age is just wrong.
They gave some principles 23%….compared to that 15% sounds pretty reasonable.
Its all taxpayers money. Teachers, Politicians, etc; etc;.
Seems no one give a chit about the taxpayer. They all have huge salaries, pensions, benefits, holidays, etc;
Try to work at a retail store for a while, or maybe a call centre, and you might change your tune.
Politicians are overpayed and underworked. Same for Civil Servants. The Country is going broke paying for all this.
Nice! 3 days will save us $64,916,665.00.
Shut down the Schools and the Government for a month, and we will all get a break, plus we will save billions.,
They all work for the taxpayer, but they dont seem to realize that.
Slim2229 says….
“My experience is the union pays lip service to their employees”
Are you refering to the people who work in the union office as “their employees”?
You must be, because they are the only employees the union has. Those who work in union shops that pay dues to those who represent them at the bargaining table and during disputes are not the unions employees, they are the unions “employers”.
You do realise that the people that work in union shops are “the union” right? They are people who stand together united, (union) against those with your type of mindset.
The union brass are in fact employees of the workers in the union shops. Not the other way around. The workers employ the union reps and pay them by way of ‘union dues” But I guess someone as well schooled as yourself already really knew that right?
Or do you think that some union bullies just came along one day and forced all those poor non union workers to pay dues and become union members?
I really am amazed at the complete lack of intelligence of some people.
“Or do you think that some union bullies just came along one day and forced all those poor non union workers to pay dues and become union members” Yes.
are union dues optional…no. Can a shop unionize without a vote? YES. Is there intimidation on votes, absolutly. Why do you think the dippers brought in legislation banning the secret ballot? So members can intimidate other members. There is no room for an original thinking worker bee.
I am really amazed at the brainwashing (Dragon)that occurs within the union movement. Like the union brass is some altruistic entity. BS!!! Why do you think the mob has always had union ties?
So sorry Dragon, I was referring to the folks who pay dues to the unions. Very often, the unions pay lip service to the folks that want them to go to bat for them.I have had some very disappointing times with a union. I’ve never been disciplined by my employer, but when I have questioned my union, they really don’t like what they call “interference in our business” Just straight questions and I wanted straight answers. When a union fear mongers, or expects their membership to vote for a certain candidate, I tend to get a little fed up with them. All the time I paid union dues they really didn’t do anything a negotiator couldn’t have done for me. They’ve outlived their usefulness in society with the laws governing employees and employers in this day and age.
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