Peace in education

[terrym]

If I was rich I would do my job (well a good part of it) for free.... but then again I like my job...

Regarding pensions and benefits....
Teachers may have a good pension but my brothers job (construction sewer and water main union?) is better... Not only does he make some pretty good money, he can also retire when he reaches 30 credits.... Credits are years based on (not sure the exact number) of hours worked in a year.... He currently averages roughly 1.4 credits a year.... Right now he has accumulated 21 credits in 14 years.... so he can retire with full pension (which I believe includes his health benefits) in less than 9 years but more likely in 5-6.... Not bad at all.....

His salary and pension isn't paid for by taxpayers. Who cares if he has a fabulous plan? The issue is that these teachers who like to think of themselves as intellectually superior and educated surely know that the Province is in a deficit situation yet they demand better pay fully knowing that the only way to get it is to increase taxes. Many of the taxpayers who they are demanding cough up more can't afford to save for their own retirements. This is what is insulting. If times were good and we weren't in a deficit I would have no problem with pay increases. I went 4 yrs straight without a pay raise, business sucked. I get that. Nobody should be entitled to force others to do without so they can upgrade an already comfortable compensation. Of course they deserve to be well paid. Most do a good job but they don't have the right to exempt themselves from the realities of the world around them. Nobody does.

[Vulpes_vulpes]

The provincial vote was one of the easiest ones I ever cast. Hudak dropped the ball on what should have been the easiest election ever. All he had to do was get up there on stage and say "we are not the liberals" and he would have won. Instead he came out with a hair brained platform.

Having a platform that tells 100k people "I am going to put you out of work" will not get you many votes. He needed to harp on change rather than austerity. My hopes is that Christine Elliot will be able to come in and give the conservatives a facelift.

[duckduckgoose]

[QUOTE=werner.reiche;899006]Re: your benefits - 30k seems awful high. [\QUOTE]
I agree. And maybe they did some shady budgeting here or maybe that's how these things are supposed to be reported, but probably two years ago I was writing a proposal for a project that included having to pay for an additional employee "like me" and that's what they gave me for numbers... (either way, we didn't get the money for the project. haha)

[DGearyFTE]

The provincial vote was one of the easiest ones I ever cast. Hudak dropped the ball on what should have been the easiest election ever. All he had to do was get up there on stage and say "we are not the liberals" and he would have won. Instead he came out with a hair brained platform.

Having a platform that tells 100k people "I am going to put you out of work" will not get you many votes. He needed to harp on change rather than austerity. My hopes is that Christine Elliot will be able to come in and give the conservatives a facelift.

Patrick Brown is the promise of change. I don't think that Christine has the moxy to do it. She is a little too pink for me. I met Brown and he stated flat out that he believes that there are too many teachers and the near term goal is to discourage more young people becoming teachers. The thought being that too many are struggling for jobs that will not become available.

The peace will come only when there is a realization that the union must go. When the union types are forced to stop brow-beating the teachers to support unrealistic demands then the first step to reform is taken...

[werner.reiche]

[QUOTE=duckduckgoose;899041]

Re: your benefits - 30k seems awful high. [\QUOTE]
I agree. And maybe they did some shady budgeting here or maybe that's how these things are supposed to be reported, but probably two years ago I was writing a proposal for a project that included having to pay for an additional employee "like me" and that's what they gave me for numbers... (either way, we didn't get the money for the project. haha)

They may be also including thinks like UI premiums (which actually come out of your salary) and WCB premiums which are a "payroll tax", not a benefit.

[terrym]

I'm on the fence about Brown/Elliott. I agree she comes across as soft but if Brown is perceived as Harris 2.0 then he and the Conservatives are DOA. He may well be the better candidate but if unelectable it doesn't matter. Winning is everything. The Liberals know this and will rule until the Cons figure that out.

[Sharon]

His salary and pension isn't paid for by taxpayers. Who cares if he has a fabulous plan? The issue is that these teachers who like to think of themselves as intellectually superior and educated surely know that the Province is in a deficit situation yet they demand better pay fully knowing that the only way to get it is to increase taxes. Many of the taxpayers who they are demanding cough up more can't afford to save for their own retirements. This is what is insulting. If times were good and we weren't in a deficit I would have no problem with pay increases. I went 4 yrs straight without a pay raise, business sucked. I get that. Nobody should be entitled to force others to do without so they can upgrade an already comfortable compensation. Of course they deserve to be well paid. Most do a good job but they don't have the right to exempt themselves from the realities of the world around them. Nobody does.

We do ? Wow. I didn't know that. Thanks for informing me.

[JBen]

Sharon, just on that note.
Please everyone, accept that it is impossible to discuss “some” things without using broad brush strokes.

I am “POd”. I have friends whose children are out of school. Some of those children are off to University next year and this is a critical time of year. Some of those children there are scholarships at risk. Some of those children have summer jobs lined up and they may be at risk. Have “teachers” looked at the scarcity of employment out there?

I loathe the grass is greener stuff. That said, there is little disputing that those in PS have it really good relative to everyone else, especially these days. I have friends that are teachers, family that are teachers and EAs, so I know what it’s like for them to.

We (meaning all of us) are in the boat we are in for reasons. One reason, or part reason is because “Teachers” didn’t (NOTE the past term) care to think much beyond the end of their own noses. More than happy to accept the love back in the day.

I blame Unions for the largesse and over spending/over hiring, and more and like DGeary feel its past time they be taken down, dismantled and reformed. And if not that, at the least kicked to the curb, out of Queens Park and one heck of a high, thick wall erected. So while I can disentangle myself, look at things (no matter the topic) from all sides, and coldly, dispassionately, logically and rationally.

Teachers at least 50% of them yet again voted to strike. Many more are on the picket lines essentially……….Cant be bothered to see that this is about.
Money

And the lack of it. Money the Government doesn’t have, money we don’t have, money we can’t continually fork over paying for their mistakes (which includes campaigning for this government for 15years) and more.

If “Teachers” are moaning that this is about the quality of education for our children this time, deal with it, suck it up and find ways to do something about it. “Teachers” have worked hard to keep this govt in power, campaigned for, spent millions during elections, voted for them in 2014, 2011, reaped benefits for years prior and more. Without coming to us for more, without using our children as pawns and putting guns to the heads of politicians.

No-one to blame but themselves and any animosity or hostility or cutbacks or pink slips that falls on them. Just as it’s a mistake for people to blame teachers for this, its a mistake for teachers who resent the bullseye, animosity from the public…..

Thank your Union, they brought it on you.

[rick_iles]

The thanks goes to this corrupt government that has squandered billions of tax dollars !!!!

[fratri]

Yup, if teachers would only take a pay decrease, get their pensions reduced, all of Ontario's money problems would go away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEVmMZZlAg#t=577

Ontario doesn't have a money problem because of teachers, it's got a money problem because of the government..