I really feel like getting my rant on this morning, so here goes... 1. A strike is ugly business, and should not be entered into lightly. REA did NOT enter into this action flippantly. I know that in my household, where there have been tears shed and raw emotions, my educator wife certainly did not enter into this action rashly. 2. If youre going to play the strike game, (and yes, I know its much, much more than a game, but that term works for my example), then you have to play the game to win. Unfortunately, because its an ugly business, in this game, nice guys finish last. 3. Since this game needs to be played to win, and because its an ugly business, some of the tactics that need to be used to win will, in turn, be a little (and sometimes a lot) ugly. It has forced teachers, who by their very nature are typically empathetic, caring, loving individuals, to participate in a picketing action that goes completely against their natural inclinations. It will turn some people off, and some will withdraw their support for the teachers because of the ugliness. That should not deter the participants in the strike from playing to win. 3. As a result of the first two items, individuals who cross the picket line to assume the jobs normally staffed by REA members should be referred to as scabs. They are not substitue teachers, they are not temporary educators, they are scabs. I will never refer to them by any other term. Yes, I know that they are people, some who may be in situations where the lure of $175/day will be a big help. But, they have other employment choices, and as a result of the choice they have made to cross the picket line to staff these jobs, they have also chosen to be labeled as scabs. 4. I do not consider RSSA members nor school administrators (i.e. building principals) as scabs. 5. That being said, Im extremely disappointed in some building principals who have organized groups of parents to assist in the educational process during the strike action. 6. Im equally disappointed in those parents who are entering the school and doing more than just observing the educational conditions their children are experiencing. If you are a parent who is assisting the administration and/or scabs in doing their job, then you are cutting the legs out from underneath the teachers. You are making the situation worse, and you are prolonging the length of this strike action. 6. I know that there will be folks in this forum who disagree with some, if not all, of what Ive written above. Thats fine, and in fact, thats good. Its part of what keeps our country strong: healthy disagreement. Please feel fee to agree or disagree with anything Ive written here.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 14:42:11 +0000
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