October 6 - So it Begins - The Alberta Teacher Strike

[Ashartus]

I don't know how any UCP MLA could have listened to Nenshi's speech and then still vote for Bill 2 and look in the mirror afterwards.


My son, who is in Grade 12, in the middle of university applications for competitive programs that mean he needs to do really well this year, and therefore one of those most affected by the strike, says he is participating in the planned student walkout because he strongly believes what the UCP are doing is wrong.

[MBates]

Originally Posted by Point Blank

It’s not a matter of giving us what we want. It’s the fact that the government never had intentions to listen to what we wanted and every intention to go nuclear on the deal.

It’s like if your kid asked you for a car, and instead of actually talking about it, you told them you’d “think about it,” made them wait for months, then came back saying you’d only ever planned to buy them a bus pass just so you could say you tried to negotiate.

They pulled #### like offering “enhanced mediation” and prolonging the dispute to clearly give the public an illusion that they were open to discussing terms when all along they never did.

You forgot that just for good measure the parent walked the kid over to a dealership and blew up a car right in front of him just to prove they could. In case in the next 4 years the kid had the temerity to even think about asking again. And also to send the message for all others in the family so they know what to expect if they get the foolish idea they want necessities of life going forward.

[BagoPucks]

Thank you for the feedback and thoughts. i agree, i should go and do more research on my own and not be lazy. Sure UCP is ridiculous to negotiate with but something still doesn't feel right to me with the outcome we have here with a strike. Oh well, thank you all for helping.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by BagoPucks

Thank you for the feedback and thoughts. i agree, i should go and do more research on my own and not be lazy. Sure UCP is ridiculous to negotiate with but something still doesn't feel right to me with the outcome we have here with a strike. Oh well, thank you all for helping.

The UCP thanks you for your vote next election.

[BagoPucks]

Wont matter. Unless they change the rules on voting too.

[5abi]

So the UCP all voted in favour? That’s just gross for democracy

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Dude you’ve lost the plot here. No one’s(or at least I’m not) suggesting taking away parents’ right to provide better educational options for their kids if they can afford it. In the case of private education though it is taking funding from the public system that would help significantly more kids with special needs. If hypothetically there were say 1000 special needs students in private education versus 20k in the public system, the money taken out of private school funding overall(from both the parents of kids with special needs and without) would provide an influx into the public system that would benefit way more kids who have no other options.

Maybe the parents of half of those special needs kids in private school wouldn’t be able to afford the private option anymore but the public option would be improved. The influx would be more than enough money to fund specials needs specific schools that all of those parents wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for. You’re a good dude(your opinion on unions aside ) and I know this isn’t your intention but I really feel that the special needs students argument is exploiting the struggles kids with special needs and their parent face to defend funding(subsidizing) private schools for the parents of kids without special needs and/or to pump up the profits for private schools.

I haven't always agreed with you on union topics, but I don't think any reasonable person could ever say they think using the notwithstanding clause to impose a contract was good and right. It's offensive to all free people.

I think the government should continue to find private schools mostly for practical reasons - I think it saves public money and provides choice to families who couldn't otherwise afford it and in some cases really need it. But that's a matter on which reasonable people could disagree.

But no reasonable person thinks what the UCP did today is appropriate. I truly believe the government should stay out of people's business to the max extent possible, and this is absolutely the opposite of that. They're trampling the rights of thousands of teachers, and by extension all Albertans.

[ooogabooga]

Originally Posted by 5abi

So the UCP all voted in favour? That’s just gross for democracy

Spineless cowards in my opinion but, given their actions I shouldn’t have expected that any of them would have a spine.

[Caged Great]

Signed up to be a canvasser

[Point Blank]

I’m hearing from a ton of teachers that they’ve decided they “won’t kill themselves for this profession anymore” type comments. Morale is very low.

I know a lot of very passionate and talented teachers who would sign up for every extracurricular and go the extra mile if it meant making a student’s day better. It’s very sad to see these comments because this means we’re at the end of the rope with what we can provide for students; and that’s what worries me most. When the people who have always gone above and beyond start saying ‘enough,’ it means the system has stretched them past their limits.

[GGG]

I know I would be working to the contract and no more at this point.

No volunteering, working just to the explicit rules of the contract

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I think the government should continue to find private schools mostly for practical reasons - I think it saves public money and provides choice to families who couldn't otherwise afford it and in some cases really need it.

In the words of a teacher: Show your work.

Eliminating all public funding for private schools will benefit more kids overall than it will hurt.

[Slanter]

So a 4-year contract is forced on the teachers... will this essentially be the end to school sports and other extracurriculars in Alberta? Why would any teacher volunteer their time for the duration of this contract?

[Point Blank]

Originally Posted by Slanter

So a 4-year contract is forced on the teachers... will this essentially be the end to school sports and other extracurriculars in Alberta? Why would any teacher volunteer their time for the duration of this contract?

Here’s a message I got from the ATA:
“Will the Association support a continuation of strike action and/or work-to-rule by Alberta Teachers?

In Alberta, in the absence of a legal strike mandate a work-to-rule may constitute a strike.

As such, and given the imminent passage and coming into force of Bill 2, the Association cannot authorize or support a work-to-rule.

We will instruct teachers to return to their classrooms, abide by the conditions of their employment, meet their professional obligations and maintain any formal commitments they have made.”

It’s a bit blurry here, but essentially, extracurriculars fall under “non-instructional assignable time” which is a professional obligation. But other duties also fall under assignable time, including PT conferences, supervision, and committee obligations etc. It comes out to about 294 hours per FTE on top of regular instructional hours. Marking and planning does NOT count even though I probably put on more hours doing that than extracurriculars, because it’s not formally requested that I set aside extra time to mark and plan.

I never tracked my assignable time and I’m sure I’ve always been way over (I did 16 extracurriculars in 7 years of teaching), I always believed in goodwill, not nickel and diming, and did more than I was asked to help create good experience for students. I’m not in a classroom anymore but if I taught in a classroom nowadays I sure as hell will be eyeing my assignable time like a hawk.

I just realized that this might be my villain origin story.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by CFO

Comments like this - whether coming from the left or right piss off the center.

#### the center. You're either for the people, or for words starting with C like corruption, corporations, and ####s.

[fotze2]

So is there school today?

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Slanter

So a 4-year contract is forced on the teachers... will this essentially be the end to school sports and other extracurriculars in Alberta? Why would any teacher volunteer their time for the duration of this contract?

Because most of them are incredible people who love doing what they do for the kids and won’t want to punish them. The government damn well knows this and is taking advantage of that very fact.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by fotze2

So is there school today?

Tomorrow I think.

[Looch City]

I'm excited to see whose UCP husband/wife/friend is on this "Task Force" lol.

Of course at the end of it all, there's this final grift opportunity tacked on as well.

Just a giant giant #### you.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Looch City

I'm excited to see whose UCP husband/wife/friend is on this "Task Force" lol.

Of course at the end of it all, there's this final grift opportunity tacked on as well.

Just a giant giant #### you.

Barney from that kids show I can't remember the name of.