[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

The option for a mediated binding solution makes the most sense if the two sides are really that far apart. The teachers have done what they can to ring the alarm with regards to the issues of class sizes and classroom conditions.

If people want more funding for education, they should vote in a government who has a mandate to do that. Clearly this government believes their mandate also includes fiscal responsibility and tax cuts. As such, they won't pay teachers much more than the average of teacher pay across benchmark provincds. And they have a limit for what they want to spend on public education, which results in larger class sizes than teachers or experts want. Whether you agree with the province or not, they believe that was the mandate they were elected on and they want to deliver on that.

To the extent the province is being unreasonable within their mandate, mediation should solve that issue. Mediation will ensure teachers are paid fairly relative to the other benchmark jurisdiction and that working conditions meet minimum standards. Beyond that, it's a question for Albertans at the next election. If Albertans want to fund education better they should be vote for a party that runs on that platform. Likewise if teachers don't like the pay/conditions, they should leave to work elsewhere.

But the strike should end.

1) Most people don't really want, or even know what they mean when they say "Fiscal Responsibility" as evident by the fact that what people think it means, is completely incompatible with cutting taxes. There is nothing fiscally responsible about cutting a reliable source of revenue like taxes and relying more on a single unpredictable commodity price to fund your government.

2) There is nothing fiscally responsible about cutting education and providing a lower standard of education to children. A well educated populace is a productive and high earning one

3) The attitude that if teachers don't like the pay they should just go elsewhere is the most self defeating position for anyone who claims to be fiscally responsible. You get what you pay for, if you want the worst teachers and education system in the country, then fund it that way and see what happens. If you want the best, you're going to have to pay a fair wage, and provide suitable conditions to the people providing it.