Union Member Entitlement

First….and foremost….I hold the teaching profession in the highest regard.  But then I read headlines like this http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2014/08/14/ontario_high_school_teachers_prepared_to_fight_back_against_austerity.html and my back does go up. 

There is a definite holier than thou attitude when it comes to public sector workers v. private sector workers.  At the end of the day it is government that has allowed the union entitlement get to where it is.  I work hard (without a raise in the past five years I might add).  I pay my taxes, which support my school board.  I, therefore, have the absolute right to express my opinions about the all-mighty Union. 

Our teachers enjoy a level of protection far beyond their perceived 'right' to retirement security. Expensive labour lawyers, working at taxpayers’ expense on behalf of boards of education are very busy working against union lawyers, employed to defend the rights of their “brothers and sisters”. They debate and settle cases ranging from monetary abuses to sexual misconduct and we never hear a thing about it. I'm sure it would blow the minds of the majority of parents currently forced to fund the education system. The list of problems and injustices are just too many to cover, but the one that is most disturbing is the hijacking of the anti-bullying campaigns initiated by people like myself.

The only group, now being advocated for as a result of all of our efforts appears to be those who belong to the LGBQT movement. What happened to protecting straight, overweight boys, or girls with a speech impediment, with protruding teeth or thick eyeglasses? What day and month of the year is their parade? The original fight was for fairness and equality. And what do teacher's pensions and benefits and the anti-bullying/gay rights movement have in common?  Special interest groups have united while the rest of us slept through it, and they have united to become an extremely difficult force to contend with.

There has been a Union call to arms of partners which include:  teacher unions, nursing unions, postal workers unions, indigenous groups, LGBQT groups, migrants, immigrants, people with disabilities, prisoners, the Communist party of Canada, pot smokers rights groups…just to name a few.

The majority of these groups depend on taxpayers for their existence yet most taxpayers are so busy working and taking care of their day to day affairs that they don't even realize that these groups have united, and not for the benefit of the average working, taxpaying, law abiding citizen. It's only once you realize that you begin to notice their constant presence in the news, always being victimized by the government, calling on their “brothers and sisters” to fight austerity. They spend millions and take over election campaigns.  Now compare the list above to the following, and then give some thought to Ontario citizens who are NOT receiving the quality services that they pay for:  students, patients, seniors, veterans, straight people, taxpaying citizens, private sector employees, victims of crime, and young rape victims forced into prostitution.

The autonomy attached to our educational system, whether it be student safety, whether it be academic…..can be considered, in some instances, to be almost criminal and with Union support.   

I spent three years trying to keep my child safe at school.  The educational system failed my child miserably.  So when I read “Ontario high school teachers prepared to fight back against austerity” AND “We want to move towards a fair deal; we’re not looking for disruption” I think to myself…..wouldn’t it be great if every parent in the province of Ontario could home school their child the exact same month, and then ask for a tax credit. 

In the last round of safe school legislation, not ALL children who were perceived as being different benefited from the changes? There is just one, perceived to be 'different' group, who benefited more than the rest?  If we allow the syphoning off of funds to support special interest groups with interests detrimental to the majority, we will be in for a rude awakening in 2015!