To the editor:
The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation states there are over 41,000 school teachers in the federation.
Strike vote results from March 6, show only 29,301 teachers voted, with 26,051 voting for strike action.
This leaves 14,949 teachers, or 36.46 per cent, who seem to be happy with the way things are. The average teacher wage in B.C. is $89,000 per year ($70,624 in wages, $18,000 in benefits), two weeks off at Christmas, two-week spring break, in-lieu days, a pension plan B.C. taxpayers pay 16.13 per cent of salary into plan, having the months of July and August off, and a taxpayer-funded benefits plan.
With the Alberta teachers federation recent four-year contract of zero per cent increase in the first three years, and a two per cent pay raise in the fourth year with a cash bonus, and with the announcement March 7 that Staples will be closing 225 stores, these 14,949 teachers are saying, things are great the way they are, and we are lucky to be working.
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan