Writing an editorial during collective bargaining is akin to washing your car - a settlement (rain) is sure to happen as soon as this goes to press.
But that would be a good thing, so let's cut to the chase.
Here's what we think would be a fair settlement: Follow CUPE's support staff workers' model and accept six per cent over a five-year contract with the provision that class size and composition, including vital special support assistants and school counsellors, are part of the new collective agreement.
The six per cent over five years is just 0.5 above support staff workers, but it is more than CUPE workers will receive. And, frankly, while we highly value teachers, CUPE workers at the same schools have to pay the same amount for groceries, housing and gas as the teachers do.
At press time Tuesday the BCTF was still hoping for eight per cent over five years but with a lot of sundry additional increases in benefits. This is unreasonable given other public sector settlements.
But it is also unreasonable for the government to keep insisting that class size doesn't matter. Of course it does. It has an impact on workloads and student-teacher time. The lack of adequate special needs helpers and counsellors in schools also impacts teachers' ability to work and does not give students who need special help the respect and attention they deserve.
By the time this editorial lands on your doorstep we suspect there will be a settlement that no one is happy about, but if there isn't - well, we're more than happy to provide this one free of charge.
