I Refuse To Make Ninety Grand

Question.

During this recession, and I say recession rather than the "tough economic times" that the media loves to throw around, how would you feel about making close to six figures? Not only pushing a six figure salary, but also having a two month summer vacation, a two week Christmas break, a one week March break, and periodic "professional development" days throughout the calendar year to go with the statutory government holidays? If it sounds too good to be true, it's not. It is definitely good and it is definitely true.

However, that scenario is one that the unionized Ontario elementary teachers recently turned down. The fact that they were offered a 12.55% raise over four years when most wages are stagnant, declining, or being lost altogether is remarkable. What is more incredible is the fact that it was rejected. Let's observe the logic of this situation, or lack thereof. Let's... state the obvious. As jobs are lost and wages cut, it obviously results in fewer tax dollars being received by the government. Tax dollars that pay teachers. Fewer tax dollars should mean that the Ministry of Education has less to pay its teachers. But it obviously doesn't, probably at the expense of a balanced budget or a different, less essential ministry. Am I missing something or do we have a group of coddled workers who are no longer living in reality?

I admire teachers and the important job they have of educating our next generation. But there comes a time when even workers in the public sector should be willing to compromise when things are going to get worse before they better. Wake up, take the offer, and enjoy your well-paid and recession-proof job. You make more with the summer off than most two-income households will in a full year.

Greetings

I dislike the word blog. I feel as if it's jumped the shark. It's so 2006. It really is. Blogging was cool until 14 year old girls realized they could tell the world about their day on an hourly basis, especially when any rules of proper grammar and spelling were trashed like an ABU dormy in my first year. Kind of like Facebook before your parents and professors could register. I guess that was also '06. Having said that, my intent of re-entering the blogosphere (and I will never say that word again) is to only say something if it matters. Or worse, as the title so implies.

So stay tuned.