Should teachers be allowed to strike?

[United Marxist Nations]

Of course, it allows teachers to protest low pay and problems in the education system.

[Dazchan]

I don't know how it works in Canada, but I'm resentful of the public service unions of the US. It's one thing for private employees to collective bargain with private employers, but with public service, the employer never gets a seat at the table.

So if the union isn't negotiating with the employer, who are they negotiating with?

[Jumalariik]

Are teachers workers?

[Rabotnikisoyedinennyye]

Maybe, but what's going on here in BC is batshit crazy.

[Exxosia]

Should teaching be designated as an essential service?
No.
Are students' rights being violated when teachers strike?
If they are attending a private school, yes, as they are being directly denied a service paid for directly. Public schools are paid for through a convoluted series of things and by the time the money gets to the student, you can't discern what is being violated.
What constitutes an essential service and should that definition be changed?
A service mandatory to sustaining the biological functions of life.
Are unions even necessary in today's developed nations?
The existence of unions outside small operations (i.e. a single company, a single factory, or a single school district) means a nation is not developed. Unions above a local scale are a side-effect of massive problems in a society and indicative of underlying mechanisms not being addressed.
Are teachers evil, slimeful human beings that need to be purged off the earth?
In my experience, most are. But that has more to do with that most people are horrible and thus most teachers are horrible in about the same ratio.

[The Rich Port]

One thing I can definitely say is that kids love teacher strikes.

Ah, but seriously, they should. They're arguably the most important work force in any country and deserve respect and representation.

[The Two Jerseys]

If the government wants to make education compulsory, then public school teachers should by all means be considered essential personnel and prohibited from striking.

Would you also forbid people who wave lanterns at railway crossings when ramp is broken from striking? After all it is compulsory to stop when train is coming.

If the crossing signal is broken and the union is on strike,

• The railroad can assign a non-striking employee to guard the crossing
• The railroad can instruct trains to stop while the brakeman stops traffic
• The railroad can reroute trains so they don't have to pass through that crossing
• The police can stop traffic while the signal is out of order

If school teachers are on strike,

• The kids don't go to school till the strike ends

There's ways to work around a railroad strike. Not so with a teachers strike.

[Germanic Imperium]

Jokes on you, I'm not a disappointment to my parents and I'm actually contributing to Society and NOT smoking weed Most people who smoke weed are Major Douchebags anways.

[San Lumen]

Everyone should have the right to strike. In New York City railroad employees are not allowed to strike and if they do their leaders can be jailed.

[Atlanticatia]

Hmm, so people should never have striked for the 8 hour work day, pensions, safe working conditions, and all the other things we enjoy today thanks to the labor movement?

That's fine for the private sector where all parties are represented at the table, but in public service disputes, taxpayers don't get representation at the table. Its a one sided process between various consumers. That's why the US's most progressive president in history (FDR) disagreed with the idea when it was brought up during his administration. The inherent unfairness of the concept unnerved him of all people, but then JFK needed some political capital and poof, one executive order later, and private citizens got their biggest shaft since the 16th amendment.

Yes they do. Taxpayers are represented by the elected governments - especially local governments and local school boards. I think that people deserve collective bargaining rights whether they're in private sector or public sector. In fact, I'd say citizens are the most represented in public sector collective bargaining disputes. Their representatives are literally the ones negotiating with the employees. I also think that taxpayers have a right to expect fair and reasonable strikes, but there has to be a balanced relationship between the employer and the teachers.

[Vladislavija]

If the crossing signal is broken and the union is on strike,

• The railroad can assign a non-striking employee to guard the crossing
• The railroad can instruct trains to stop while the brakeman stops traffic
• The railroad can reroute trains so they don't have to pass through that crossing
• The police can stop traffic while the signal is out of order

Are you kidding me?

[KAS SRD]

They should be given more money and respected more, but not strike for more than a week at a time every year or so. Education is completely essential and I'm surprised at the number of people who think it isn't.

[Tsa-la-gi Nation]

Everyone should have the right to strike. In New York City railroad employees are not allowed to strike and if they do their leaders can be jailed.

That's a part of America that I absolutely hate. If the service is that essential, pay them a wage that would make them know striking would be foolish instead of restricting their basic rights as working class citizens. Collectively, little policies like this are at the base of why we have such inequality today and workers of this country should not stand for it, we have had flat wages for far, far too long.

[Lavan Tiri]

Nope. Public school is bad enough, having a teacher strike makes it worse.

[Lavan Tiri]

Of course, it allows teachers to protest low pay and problems in the education system.

Teachers On Strike is a problem.

[Neo Industrium]

My Father is a teacher, and also happens to be the Union Rep for his school.

That said, he doesn't always agree with what the Union does. There was a strike last year at a local school district, and the things the parents and teachers did were both abhorrent, so it really depends on the circumstance. It really isn't fair to students when teachers go on strike and learning doesn't get done. On the other hand, teachers should be given fair wages for their work (which often times they do not).

It's tricky, but there are times I think teachers should be able to strike, and other times, they should not. I'm not Canadian, so I'm not to keen with how Unions and stuff are done there, or why those teachers are striking.

There striking because of the current class size and composition.

Let me put class size and composition into perspective for you: During my high-school work experience placement, I worked in a grade 5/6 split class that had 30 students. Of these 30 students, NINE of them were IEP (Individual Education Plan) students with special needs. In the whole school of over 500 students, there were only 10 specialist teachers.

Hardest. Three. Weeks. Of. My. Life.

[Kiribati-Tarawa]

Like any group of workers, I do believe teachers should be able to strike. That being said, I do not think that they should strike, and in fact, I am an adamant opponent of most unions, particularly teachers' unions. People need to learn to appreciate their lot, and realise that it's a lot better than what most people in the world have. If you're not ready to give up your dreams of becoming a billionaire, don't become a teacher.

Hmm, so people should never have striked for the 8 hour work day, pensions, safe working conditions, and all the other things we enjoy today thanks to the labor movement?

I'm talking about working conditions in a modern, western country. I don't challenge the good which unions have done in improving working conditions in the past, but today, it honestly seems like unions have become extremely petty and overreactive.

[Ethel mermania]

Would you also forbid people who wave lanterns at railway crossings when ramp is broken from striking? After all it is compulsory to stop when train is coming.

If the crossing signal is broken and the union is on strike,

• The railroad can assign a non-striking employee to guard the crossing
• The railroad can instruct trains to stop while the brakeman stops traffic
• The railroad can reroute trains so they don't have to pass through that crossing
• The police can stop traffic while the signal is out of order

If school teachers are on strike,

• The kids don't go to school till the strike ends

There's ways to work around a railroad strike. Not so with a teachers strike.

sure there is, just add days to the school year.

[Neo Industrium]

If we just removed government subsidies for private schools, BC would be okay....

[The Rich Port]

Of course, it allows teachers to protest low pay and problems in the education system.

Teachers On Strike is a problem.

Striking is a symptom of a problem, not a source.

Attacking striking is ignoring the actual problems.

[The Two Jerseys]

If the crossing signal is broken and the union is on strike,

• The railroad can assign a non-striking employee to guard the crossing
• The railroad can instruct trains to stop while the brakeman stops traffic
• The railroad can reroute trains so they don't have to pass through that crossing
• The police can stop traffic while the signal is out of order

If school teachers are on strike,

• The kids don't go to school till the strike ends

There's ways to work around a railroad strike. Not so with a teachers strike.

sure there is, just add days to the school year.

There's only so many days you can add.

[Othelos]

Yes, teachers should be able to strike.

[Neo Industrium]

sure there is, just add days to the school year.

There's only so many days you can add.

Why not just add another 90 days to the 365 day year?

Problem = Solved

[Ethel mermania]

sure there is, just add days to the school year.

There's only so many days you can add.

strikes dont last for years, and you can add days to multiple years.

[Sociobiology]

sure there is, just add days to the school year.

There's only so many days you can add.

yeah like three months.
honestly having no more than two months off would be a good thing.