Point: Teachers Should Not be Allowed to Strike

Alright Ontarian parents, you can relax now. This past Tuesday, the McGuinty government passed a legislation forcing a two-year wage freeze and several benefit cuts, and most importantly, a two-year strike ban on Ontario public school teachers. While many of us UW students may not be directly affected at this moment, many of us were once sitting in the classroom of an Ontario public school. Besides, we are all taxpayers here, and this legislation puts (a little) more money in our pockets. However, we are here to discuss one issue, and one issue alone: Teachers should never have the right to strike.

This statement may seem on the harsh side, but the reality is that teachers are bulk of our education system. If teachers strike, children in Ontario public schools will not receive the same quality of education as their counterparts in private schools or in other provinces. This is very serious, particularly in the case of secondary schools, where students may be applying to university without proper preparation. Unfortunately, the only way around this drop in quality is money and not everyone has a lot of it.

In today’s rough economic times, many parents simply cannot afford to put their child in a private school and thus depend on the public school system to ensure the academic success of their children. By striking, teachers would essentially encourage the creation of an economic class divide. Only the children whose parents could not afford to put them in a private school would remain in the public schools. This would likely create unsafe school environments, as much of the public school population would be comprised of students from low-income families in rough neighbourhoods. Since when has our system of education been based on net income? Clearly, the teachers do not understand the implications that striking may have on society. This leads us to the following question: Is it really appropriate for the teachers to strike?

When teachers strike, they often complain about wages, benefits and sick days. While these are legitimate issues for the union to negotiate on, the teachers must realize that they already have many benefits that many working people do not have. The endless list of benefits includes, but is not limited to: impenetrable job security, an above-average salary, cumulative sick days, and an incredibly secure pension plan. Teachers should also remember that these benefits come from the government, and indirectly from taxpayers. In striking, they are abusing their rights to these benefits in that they are selfishly asking for more than society can possibly give them. Their demands are exceptionally unreasonable considering the enormous multi-million dollar deficit that the province of Ontario is facing at this time. The government needs to close this gap, not enlarge it. Once the deficit is erased, it will then be possible to reassess the situation and distribute assets according to what taxpayers need, be it schooling or otherwise.

On another note, teachers have clearly forgotten that their employment depends on registration of children in their schools. If registration in public schools decreases, not as many teachers will be needed. Parents only want the best for their children, and striking teachers will force parents to find a better alternative for their children if they are financially able. This would ultimately lead to less teaching jobs in Ontario, thereby leaving thousands of new graduates from teachers’ colleges across Ontario unemployed.

Though the teachers may feel that their salaries are not the best right now, the reality is that most working people are in the same boat. The only way out of this situation is for everyone (including the unions) to give up a little so we can work towards erasing the black-hole sized deficit that we are facing. Every member of society has this responsibility, and teachers are certainly no exception. Students do not deserve to have their quality of education cut back simply because the teachers are not pleased with their already substantial earnings and pension benefits.

All in all, the teachers need to remember their responsibility to the public. By serving the public system, they are maintaining relative stability in the quality of education Ontarians receive. This is the most crucial part of their job, as they are training tomorrow’s workforce. According to Statistics Canada, over two-thirds of all new jobs in this country will require post-secondary education. High school is a mandatory prerequisite to college or university, giving secondary school teachers a pivotal role in turning out graduates with solid preparation. If teachers are allowed to strike, students will be put at risk. In the end, nobody, not even the teachers, will benefit.