Something Positive out of the Teachers Strike

Though the past 2 weeks have been difficult ones in the lives of most British Columbians, there's an important life lesson I was vividly reminded of. Given a specific situation, two intelligent, thoughtful people can view it in completely opposing ways. What's key to realize is that this does not necessarily mean that one is right and the other is wrong.

Take Jinny Sims, the BCTF President, as an example. My close friends who are teachers admire her very much. But I don't, never have, and never will. There was an AMAZING segment on Jon McComb's show on CKNW on Friday (Oct. 21st) between 5:15 - 5:35pm. If you want to listen to it then go here. If you don't want to register then you can find registration info here. What you'll hear is a debate between Sims and B.C.'s Labour Minister, Mike de Jong. They don't actually talk with one another directly but communicate through McComb. Talk radio at its finest!

In any case, one of my teacher friends heard the segment too. What *I* heard in Sims was a confrontational, stubborn, irritating woman and, in my opinion, a perfect example of why the BCTF has been unable to negotiate any deals for at least a decade. Just like David Chudnovsky before her ... who used his BCTF job as a stepping stone to become an NDP MLA by the way. What my friend heard was a woman she greatly admired, someone who is sticking up for teachers rights.

One situation, two completely different reactions. My friend's views are motivated by her work as a teacher and her belief that her working conditions have deterioriated in the past few years. She also believes that she's entitled to a pay raise. As for me, I don't disagree with her about the working conditions but I do believe that there's more than enough taxpayer dollars going into the system already. I think a whole lot of it is wasted by the numerous education bureaucracies and the very fact that so many in this sector are completely unaccountable for keeping costs down. As for a pay raise, I don't think that anyone is *entitled* to a raise. Many of my friends in the private sector have not had a raise in years. As for public sector workers, I've commented before that a rude awakening is coming their way in the next decade as the percentage of working adults decreases. We already have a huge debt that is going to take decades to pay off. On a very simple mathematical level, it's going to be impossible to keep on funding more & more. These are the factors that motivate me.

So the next time you're in a disagreement with someone, try to remember that their views are shaped by the sum of their experiences and their personal situation, just like yours are for you. This doesn't mean you have to agree with them. But perhaps you'll take an extra moment to better understand where they're coming from and why they have a different view from you.