From A Rank And File Teacher

SpinDeflectorFreeZone
HorsesMouthVille

Here's a comment from Chris H. , a teacher in Vancouver who walked the line for the last two weeks, on the latest Tyee thread:

"The BCTF are the teachers. You bash the BCTF and you bash teachers.

Think about it. We did what no other union would do. We went out on an illegal strike for 2 weeks. We faced down Campbell and his cronies. They have accepted that the BCTF speaks for teachers and that it will be the BCTF that speaks for teachers at the table; not Campbell's buddies that crossed the picketline.

TOCs will now gain seniority! Wow, that is something Vancouver teachers have been fighting for for decades.

The BCPSEA now has to face the 40 school boards that publicly supported the teachers' position. How much credibility does the BCPSEA have now? Look to Vince Ready to recommend the abolishment of that organization.

As a union, we have an incredible amount of solidarity. In Vancouver we had such an small number of teachers cross during this "illegal" strike it is almost a joke. We can go back stronger than ever ready to fight for public education.

Our public support actually grew during our time on the line. That is unbelievable! The public knows the issues that we face in the classroom everyday, and the BC Liberals look bad in their new found understanding.

I am not happy that we didn't get everything that we wanted, but I am proud and satisfied that we were out there for the right reasons. Teachers should be proud of themselves. I will vote yes to Ready's recommendations and come back to my classroom if that is our majority decision with my head held high."


Again, the Teachers won this thing. And you don't have to take my word for it. Michael Smyth said so.

So why is the local media piling on the the BCTF, and not the Dobellians, for losing?

Go figure.

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Update, 10:05am Saturday: The BCTF Executive have recommended that Teachers vote to accept the Ready Ruling. Me, I'm looking forward to giving my kids' teachers high fives all 'round sometime early next week.

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