Should teachers be allowed to strike?

[Neo Industrium]

If you aren't from British Columbia (the place that grows all of the weed that you use), we're dealing with a 3 month long teacher strike.

This has brought up an interesting question for residents of BC: Is Teaching an Essential Service? Personally, I don't think so. Governments usually use essential services legislation to protect public safety. Teaching doesn't protect public safety.

This has also brought up the question as to whether our right to education is being violated through the teacher strike. Personally, I don't think so. Sure, you can reference "the right to education" in countless agreements that Canada has signed, but we also have the right to unionize and join trade unions. I don't think that the right to education is more important than fighting for favourable working conditions.

So NSG. Should teaching be designated as an essential service? Are students' rights being violated when teachers strike? What constitutes an essential service and should that definition be changed? Are unions even necessary in today's developed nations? Are teachers evil, slimeful human beings that need to be purged off the earth?

These are non-rhetorical questions. Answer below.

EDIT: Should we eliminate government subsidies for private schools?

[Aredshan]

Teachers are evil, slimeful human beings.

In all seriousness, I'm undecided about the matter myself. On the one hand, month-long strikes can impair education but on the other hand, teacher wages are usually unfairly low.

[Cetacea]

Teaching is NOT an essential service and its the Parents responsibilty to educate their children.
That the state might choosse to fund schools is a good gesture but parents can always homeschool or get a private tutor.

Yes trade unions are still useful advocates and advisors but would be better structured as professional guilds rather than proleteriat unions

And yes teachers deserve to be paid more - investing in our children is of more value than lawyers, prison guards or share brokers

[Geilinor]

Teaching is NOT an essential service and its the Parents responsibilty to educate their children.
That the state might choosse to fund schools is a good gesture but parents can always homeschool or get a private tutor.

Yes trade unions are still useful advocates and advisors but would be better structured as professional guilds rather than proleteriat unions

And yes teachers deserve to be paid more - investing in our children is of more value than lawyers, prison guards or share brokers

The provincial government has passed legislation establishing public education. Parents can homeschool their kids, but public education has been established for a purpose.

[Threlizdun]

Of course

[Blazedtown]

Absolutely, it just goes to show that if the parents won't beat the kids, you have do it yourself.

Oh, you mean that kind of strike.

[Apparatchikstan]

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.

[Estado Nacional]

I can't speak for teachers in British Columbia, but the teacher unions we've got here are one the most parasitic classes I've ever seen.

[Vladislavija]

They should. I don't see any difference between doctors, teachers, and people waving lanterns at railway crosses.

[Dyakovo]

Should teachers be allowed to strike?

Yes. Thus ends another episode of simple answers for stupid questions.

[Zoboyizakoplayoklot]

I'm from BC, and yes, I think they should be able to.

Especially when the government ignores a BC Supreme Court Jurisdiction concerning the strike.

[Genivaria]

If you aren't from British Columbia (the place that grows all of the weed that you use), we're dealing with a 3 month long teacher strike.

This has brought up an interesting question for residents of BC: Is Teaching an Essential Service? Personally, I don't think so. Governments usually use essential services legislation to protect public safety. Teaching doesn't protect public safety.

This has also brought up the question as to whether our right to education is being violated through the teacher strike. Personally, I don't think so. Sure, you can reference "the right to education" in countless agreements that Canada has signed, but we also have the right to unionize and join trade unions. I don't think that the right to education is more important than fighting for favourable working conditions.

So NSG. Should teaching be designated as an essential service? Are students' rights being violated when teachers strike? What constitutes an essential service and should that definition be changed? Are unions even necessary in today's developed nations? Are teachers evil, slimeful human beings that need to be purged off the earth?

These are non-rhetorical questions. Answer below.

Is Teaching an Essential Service?

Yes.

Personally, I don't think so.

You are an example of why it's essential.

[Wisconsin9]

I remember fondly the teacher strikes of my own city three years ago.

[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.

[Atlanticatia]

I think that teachers should be able to strike within reason - for example, if teachers strike for 6 months, then it impacts kids' right to an education. But a reasonable, necessary, and fair strike is completely okay.

[Imperializt Russia]

"Teaching is not an essential service"

Well, that's my recommended daily allowance of idiocy maxed.

[The Grey Wolf]

Just shoot the lot of them and hire new ones.

[Zoboyizakoplayoklot]

I think that teachers should be able to strike within reason - for example, if teachers strike for 6 months, then it impacts kids' right to an education. But a reasonable, necessary, and fair strike is completely okay.

Well, the strike is over the fact that there might be a school with classes that have have 30 kids and one or more special needs kid each and there is only one support worker throught the entire school.

Also, the majority of parents support the teachers.

[Britanania]

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.

[Apparatchikstan]

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

This

[Zoboyizakoplayoklot]

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.

[Ryujin]

I believe that teachers should be allowed to go on strike and that unions are still necessary in today's world. Having a public education system is crucial in a society, especially since all nations and most societies have people who would never be able to afford to hire a tutor or have the time or education to home school their children.

That being said, I also do not think that teachers should be on strike for three months. If a strike goes on for that long it indicates to me that there has been a huge failure or breakdown of the current system. Strikes are designed to be a last resort for a union and are meant to be resolved as quickly as possible.

I guess if this strike cannot be resolved we should just purge all of these sinful teachers from the earth and start over.

[Imperializt Russia]

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.

Which is a completely unfair arrangement that is unreasonable to expect to be taught at that kind of staffing level.

[Vladislavija]

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.

[Britanania]

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.

That's interesting.

Personally, I think teachers should be paid per student and per hour. If you have 30 students, you should be paid $2.50 per student, and then on the hour, so $75 an hour for 7 hours, for 180 days