Teachers strike!!!

rede2go
rede2go Posts: 82 Member
in Chit-Chat
First of all I do not mean to make anyone angry but I am a little upset.

Tonight is grade nine orientation and there wont be any teachers there. It is completely student run. My 16 year old is running tours and in charge of the sound equipment. In our area all sports and extra corricular activities are cancelled. They are classified as voluteer positions and the teachers dont have to do it. So half of our region the teachers said it is about the kids and are coaching teams anyway but my kids school not a chance. So this means no sports, not grade eight grad or prom. This is unacceptable. They wont allow parents to come in and coach due to insurance reasons... we can go and watch a game during regular season if we fell we could sue, but God forbid you actually be doing something helpful they wont risk it.

So there are at least 60 kids who want to transfer to the catholic school board, so they can experience the normal day to day high school stuff. Things they are entitiled to the deserve. Some of these kids arent just playing sports they are talented and could have gotten athletic scholorships, now they may not get to go to college or university. How is this fair? Make them pay for your right to strike and lets go there.

A notice comes home from school saying there isnt school tomorrow due to strike but watch the website for updates. So people with small children and jobs have to find a sitter or take time off (cause they cant call in last minute and leave there employers hanging). Then at 5 a.m. they decide guess what there will be school. So I sent my daughter and out of 120 grade eight students (who wont get a grad), 24 showed up. So they shuffle them all together and do nothing all day, extra gym and music and art. My daughter struggles in math and spends time with a tutor we pay she cant afford to miss the important stuff. ( I know one day wont hurt but come on).

Someone explain it to me... normal people cant strike you dont show up they give your job to someone else. I thought that teachers were there for the kids, where are you now.... I realize teachers comprimised so please someone explain why the kids are the ones getting hurt.

They pay for students cards that are useless do they get there money back or a portion of it???

Any help would be great and remember it is not my intent to make anyone angry I just want to understand why the kids are the ones paying?

Replies

  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    It's not up to the teachers 1 by 1, you understand that, right?

    It's pretty much up to their union representation. I believe it could get to a vote, but if it's 51-49 to strike, they strike.

    On coaching, you can't just volunteer to coach HS athletics (at least where I live). You must be a contract employee of the school(district). It is a liability deal. They might be able to get away with lower level athletics, but for sure not JV or Varsity.

    Part 2 (Where I live) A licensed trainer MUST be in attendance at all Varsity events. If the trainer(s) are employees of the school (ours are) and are caught up in the strike, that could also affect games.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Hm. Normally I'm in favor of teachers striking. Here in America, they really get crapped on.

    I had not considered the effects it would have on families and struggling students. This was an interesting post. Thank you for bringing those points up.
  • dan09554
    dan09554 Posts: 327 Member
    Teachers, police, firefighters and our military men and women deserve to earn top dollar and benefits. Im a die hard union guy. With that said, it is terrible when the parties cant agree on terms. Remember, it's not just the union teachers involved.....its the district officials. ...whether appointed or elected. I understand in this economy we cant just pay everyone a crapload of money. And, it is about compromise. But you cant always blame union labor. Remember, if you like only working 40 hour weeks, having paid vacations and health benefits....thank a union worker. For the kids sake, I hope it gets resolved
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    WHY are the teachers striking? What is happening within the district?
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    Move to a right to work state.
    Without forced union dues and membership, they usually can't get enough support to strike.

    BTW, husband of 18 years to an underpaid/overworked teacher. It's not that I don't believe they should earn more, I just know the union is not the way to go about it. Certainly strikes like that tend to kill sympathy for teachers that deserve better.
  • tlacox1
    tlacox1 Posts: 373 Member
    What state are you in because in Texas we can't strike. Of course, I understand they want more money, better conditions, but as a teacher I do not believe striking is the answer. Your right! The ones being hurt are innocent children. It is difficult being a teacher because we are expected to work miracles with very little but if you are a true teacher then you do it for the children, not the money. Sorry, but just my opinion.
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
    Teachers, police, firefighters and our military men and women deserve to earn top dollar and benefits. Im a die hard union guy. With that said, it is terrible when the parties cant agree on terms. Remember, it's not just the union teachers involved.....its the district officials. ...whether appointed or elected. I understand in this economy we cant just pay everyone a crapload of money. And, it is about compromise. But you cant always blame union labor. Remember, if you like only working 40 hour weeks, having paid vacations and health benefits....thank a union worker. For the kids sake, I hope it gets resolved

    I agree. It boggles my mind how ****ty teachers get paid and treated in our country. In other countries you don't hear about strikes because teachers actually get paid what their worth. I'm a teacher and I don't think I would want to just leave my students because of a strike but a lot of the time they have no CHOICE. I'm in a Non-union state (NC) and we get paid CRAP CRAP CRAP. It's a no win situation.
  • Wench58
    Wench58 Posts: 5
    Yes, the kids are being hurt in a teacher strike, but we don't know from the poster what caused the strike. Is the District involved trying to take benefits away from teachers that may have been serving the District for 30 years or more? Is the District atempting to take away pensions, incentives and the like.

    From experience here at home a strike of any kind is not an easy or instant decision. Something has gone terribly wrong in the negotiation process.

    I hope this works out for you and your family..,.....and for the teachers.
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    Move to a right to work state.

    Yeah, I grew up in a right to work state (Wyoming)...

    We never got time off for strikes. :(

    Plenty of snow days though. :)
  • RobfromLakewood
    RobfromLakewood Posts: 684
    Teachers, police, firefighters and our military men and women deserve to earn top dollar and benefits. Im a die hard union guy. With that said, it is terrible when the parties cant agree on terms. Remember, it's not just the union teachers involved.....its the district officials. ...whether appointed or elected. I understand in this economy we cant just pay everyone a crapload of money. And, it is about compromise. But you cant always blame union labor. Remember, if you like only working 40 hour weeks, having paid vacations and health benefits....thank a union worker. For the kids sake, I hope it gets resolved

    100% agreement and a little addition as a teacher and the union chair at my school, I have a few extra thoughts to share. First let me say to the OP, I know you are going to be inconvenienced by this strike and I am sorry about this and your child and other children will be affected negatively as well. Unfortunately, sometimes it is necessary. If no one was inconvenienced, then the teachers would have no worth or value and on some level, deserve the compensation offered. If people are inconvenienced, then there is worth there and when an agreement has been unable to be met, there must be recourse.It is sad, but sometimes unavoidable, strike happen.

    This does not mean we don't care about our students, in fact, I believe my school district has counted on our concern to manipulate us more than once. I am in my 19th year teaching middle school. On my Christmas break I caught up with student s in college and beyond, even editing a few papers for some. I attend their sporting events with greater regularity than many of their parents. I open my room during lunch and nutrition, for them to catch up on work, use computers or have a place to share about events in their lives. I am not special, I am like most of my colleagues. Because I want fair compensation as a professional and am willing to do what many brave people have done for me (taken a financial and security risk in order to get what I believe is fair treatment) does not mean I don't care about my profession or the students I am responsible for.

    I appreciate parent support in the classroom, but if I was on strike, if parents kick politician booty because they are inconvenienced, it is probably more helpful than telling me they appreciate the job I do. I hope the strike gets resolved soon, but just like there is more than just the teachers being affected, the teachers also have a stake in this.
  • leenie96
    leenie96 Posts: 65
    Our teachers are completely undervalued here in America. Just as children are suffering the consequences of strikes temporarily, these teachers have continually suffered the consequences of not being compensated as the people that mold our children.
  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
    I'm in the same Canadian Province although my kids are in a school board that's not affected (French).

    Essentially, the government approached all the school boards and asked them to make concessions within their Union contracts to save money. 2/3 school boards negotiated the terms and signed and one didn't (the big one, Public). What the government then did is FORCE the new contract on them, introducting the changes as a BILL (or law).

    The teachers and Union that represent them are FURIOUS - as am I. I don't think it's far for the government to force them to make these changes, I think they should give them time to negotiate and thus make everyone happy.

    It's a big hoopla here in Ontario Canada!!!
  • the_journeyman
    the_journeyman Posts: 1,877 Member
    I see a double standard. It's ok for UAW and other groups of employees to strike over working conditions or pay but not teachers?

    JM
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,994 Member
    Teachers earn less than what a retired Congressman makes on pension. What's wrong with this picture?

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  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    I thought that teachers were there for the kids. Where are thtey now?

    No, teachers are there for a paycheck, just like everybody else. Yes, it takes a strong person to be a teacher, and most of them do enjoy the rewarding feeling at the end of they day, but that doesn't mean they aren't professionals who expect adequate compensation and fair working conditions for their services.

    I understand that is is frustrating that you and other parents are being inconvenienced, but don't make this all about you and "the poor poor children". How about "the poor teachers"?? Teachers don't exist simply to serve you. They are people too, with lives and mortgages and weight loss goals and problems just like the rest of us. When put in a difficult position that could possibly jeopardize their livelihood, they have to do what is right by them first, and have the children and parents put on the back burner.

    End the pity party and put yourself in someone else's shoes every once in a while. You could learn a lot.
  • tjfrisque
    tjfrisque Posts: 267 Member
    Probably shouldn't post a response at all but have to get my two cents in. Don't think I'm for the union in the public sector but am definetly for it in the private. As teachers go I think that they shouldn't need a union, they need better pay. A union protects teachers that don't do their jobs as much as the ones that do. Everyone should get an evaluation and the ones that do well should be paid well. If you don't do well you shouldn't even be there. Don't fight for a union, fight for better pay. I think most taxpayers would agree to paying our teachers well if they do a good job. As far as extra corricular activities if the school wants to support it it should pay them. This will happen when ppl start to enroll their children in other schools that do offer it.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    The kids are the ones paying because life isn't fair. I'd also like to point out that the striking teachers are more than likely going without pay. How many of the teachers are suffering themselves or have kids of their own that are suffering because of the financial costs of being involved in a strike?

    That said, I have some issues with your whole argument:

    1) Personally, I'd be more concerned about my child's education than their prom, graduation, etc. which seem to be your focus. Kids are entitled to a free public education, but they are *not* entitled to things like 8th grade graduation or prom, and while these events are nice traditions for some people, they are most definitely not necessary.

    2) While it is unfortunate that schools are unable to provide students with an opportunity to play sports, schools are not the only places kids can play. Many communities have other opportunities for young people to excel at sports. The fact that a few students *might* go on to get college scholarships does not mean that schools should pull resources from basic educational purposes to fund sports. There are good arguments for sports in public schools (e.g. encouraging exercise in young people) but this just isn't one of them.

    3) You slipping on school grounds and attempting to sue the school is an entirely different than the school putting itself and more importantly groups of young people at risk, by allowing untrained people (i.e. parents) to supervise and "train" young people in potentially dangerous activities (i.e. sports). I don't blame them at all for not wanting to take on that type of liability.

    4) "Normal people" who are part of unions can in fact strike. Moreover, normal people, including teachers, can be forced to strike when their union strikes. At an individual level, your child's teacher(s) have no more to say about this than you or your child does. (For the record, I think unions are a good thing, but this is how unions generally work.)
  • trojanbb
    trojanbb Posts: 1,297 Member
    The average k-12 public teacher still makes well over the national median annual income and on an hourly basis it's even higher. And there is a huge oversupply, simple supply and demand stuff.
  • tjfrisque
    tjfrisque Posts: 267 Member
    [You don't think the goverment shold force them? What do you think happens in the private sector? In the private sector you don't have a choice and when people start to leave then they change. The american way.quote]
    I'm in the same Canadian Province although my kids are in a school board that's not affected (French).

    Essentially, the government approached all the school boards and asked them to make concessions within their Union contracts to save money. 2/3 school boards negotiated the terms and signed and one didn't (the big one, Public). What the government then did is FORCE the new contract on them, introducting the changes as a BILL (or law).

    The teachers and Union that represent them are FURIOUS - as am I. I don't think it's far for the government to force them to make these changes, I think they should give them time to negotiate and thus make everyone happy.

    It's a big hoopla here in Ontario Canada!!!
    [/quote]
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