The $100,000 club: Who’s really making big money these days

http://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/the-new-upper-class/

Great article!

“Civil servants in Europe and the United States have seen their pay slashed and jobs eliminated in recent years, but in Canada, government payrolls continue to grow, far outpacing inflation and their private sector equivalents.”

Average is 12% higher compared to the private sector…

Interesting charles, thanks

Thanks for sending this link – great article.

What were the teacher’s initial demands? A bonus of a few thousand dollars to sign a contract and unlimited massages? Is that true? Someone out there please advise.

As for class size: Aren’t people having less kids these days and has not this trend been happening for the last decade? If so, are not classes destined to become smaller anyways? Why were schools closed in the past?

Just how large are current classes? I had 32-40 kids per classroom and everything seemed to work out just fine. Teachers did have demands for better pay back then but the job action was the termination of extra curricular sports programs that were coached or mentored by teachers. This was a union decision not really the teachers because many loved sports.

Now teachers have many benefits and a great salary and three months off??
It sounds simplistic but I do not have too much sympathy for a teacher who has a sweet guaranteed 90-100 k job for life with benefits and a pension to boot. if they need more money now, maybe they should learn NOT to live beyond their means.

I say suck it up buttercup, take a good deal and get back to work. You are the ones causing much grief to Families out there who need their kids to be in school. The government’s 40 dollar a day per kid to families who have kids is only good under certain conditions, so don’t think Premier Clark is rolling out the green carpet either.

Unions can do more harm then good sometimes. They get paid extremely well too. I have to wonder: are there not many out there who are qualified teachers with a degree in BC but cannot find a job? Take a good deal unless you want a major shakeup / replacement.

I have talked to a couple of teacher associates I have and none of them know what this ‘massage” thing is about… I think probably a government thing to throw the public towards them rather than the teachers.

As for time offImaorage, they maybe off for two months but they, or at least most of them, don’t get paid for it eithe, thus they have summer jobs.

Lets hope both side get together, get somethig worked out, and stop the foolishness on both sides. As it sits right now it is the government holding things up..
No I’s not a teacher , nor a parent with kids in school or day care so this strike really sdoesn’t affect me one way or the other. So I refuse to take sides, one way or the other.

Imorge, I could not have said it better! I too, recall my largest class with 42 students, the rest in the 30’s and very few failed the grade, a lot of darn good teachers who really wanted you to learn. And yes we had the slower students, disruptive students which the teachers dealt with using a great deal of patience and compassion.
Just seems it’s not convenient for the teachers to deal effectively with those sizes anymore, or perhaps the union needs more members for dues.
Don’t know, just hope a deal can be worked out that’s fair for the teachers and the taxpayer.

Wow. ..sure is always a lot of whining about how much money teachers make. ..I think it is envy because most of you where not smart enough to get an education and go to university for 5 plus years. ..I was smart enough to get a trade when I was young and I am glad to pay my taxes which most of you non union or business people use right offs to hide. ..

“…and none of them know what this ‘massage” thing is about… I think probably a government thing to throw the public towards them rather than the teachers.”

I have not heard the BCTF state that this is a red herring invented by the government, so I assume it is indeed a union demand just like the fertility drugs they demand.

Yeah Charles, don’t point out how good the public service has it, or suggest that teachers are very well compensated. You’ll be quickly labeled a ‘teacher hater’, a ‘whiner’, or anti-union.

prov2: “I was young and I am glad to pay my taxes which most of you non union or business people use right offs to hide. ..”

It’s a ‘write off’, not a ‘right off’. This suggests to me you don’t even know what it is.

Prov, my only concern is that teachers get what’s fair and get a raise that is in line with other public sector workers, and please get rid of that signing bonus, that’s a joke.
I worked as a union employee for a long time, and frankly, they’re overrated.

There are a lot of folks out there not in the private sector that make a ton of money too. Let’s see a report on trades peoples wages and benefits. Then compare then to the trades people that work in the oil patch. You will find that they make a ton of money too. Maybe the private sector should cap their wages too!

“It’s a ‘write off’, not a ‘right off’. This suggests to me you don’t even know what it is.” .. this suggests to me they are a teacher.

And once again, the kids suffer…CC has Daddy issues
& has some sort of vendetta…Union has f@*k U
attitude…both sides are in the wrong…once again,
greed, incomptence, lack of responsibilty eludes.
As for kids…still the pawn while the knight & queen
quarrel…bullpuckey u irresponsible leaders. SHAME
ON BOTH SIDES…what a joke Editor’s note…edited to check for language.

“You’ll be quickly labeled a ‘teacher hater’, a ‘whiner’, or anti-union.”

But JB, you ARE a ‘teacher hater’, ‘whiner’ and anti-union. Be proud of your labels.

Mulcair promises raises for federal employees once his party takes over! No free beer though, yet.

@Pylot: When one can’t talk about the facts, then they will resort to name calling and labels. Pretty common on this site.

@NoWay, read the link Charles posted regarding private vs. public sector wages. The spiraling cost of public sector wages and golden benefit packages are not sustainable, and the private sector has been falling behind for years.

BCracer: Teachers get their full salary for a 9 month year then. They can also elect to be paid during the summer months if they can’t budget very well but it means taking a lesser amount home each month in order to stretch it out over 12 months.

Oh and prov2: Yes I went to college and university, am fairly well educated and I do probably make more than the average teacher as I am in the group that is described in an above mentioned article link, and I put in a lot of overtime that is not compensated when I come to think of it. However unpaid overtime is the life of many a person in the private business sector, those with their own businesses to run and develop.

I don’t have a union – not allowed to. I do not believe in free handouts to already well compensated professionals like the teachers.

So the article is misleading.. As there was back okay awarded and it was 2-3 yrs worth that would push a bunch iver 100,000 for that year, but it’s a false number.. But it works to make the authors numbers work.

JB:”When one can’t talk about the facts, then they will resort to name calling and labels. Pretty common on this site.”

I agree, JB! Yet, you are still ahead of the game, because after you stated facts at least nobody accused you of intentionally and knowingly spreading you-know-what and misinformation!

I stand by what I said regarding your statements in the other thread PG. But let’s stay on topic. Thanks.

well I see clark the shark and her band of piranhas must be feelin the heat been in negotiations for a day now. lets hope they are sincere this time and no bs brought to the table.

EXCELLENT article Charles! Thanks for posting it! This article should be copied and passed out to each and every tax payer in the country!!

I am absolutely astounded that some people on this site seem to have indicated that they have read the article and yet they still think that our Public Service is not being adequately compensated. How on earth can you people justify the level of insanity that we have reached with our public sector compensation??

Things have definitely gone beyond the realm of ridiculous! I have repeatedly stated that it’s time for a complete review and rationalization of our public service, from the very top right on down to the very bottom!

Unfreakin’ believable!

Oh I read it Johnny B. My point is a lot of other folks like trades people make a great wage too with benefits.

Oh believe it Hart Guy and it isn’t going to change anytime soon.

“Things have definitely gone beyond the realm of ridiculous! I have repeatedly stated that it’s time for a complete review and rationalization of our public service, from the very top right on down to the very bottom!”

In your dreams Hart Guy! It will end up like the Cities Core Review. Just curious, who would do this review?