Dear Editor:
The government of Saskatchewan is presently involved with contract negotiations with school teachers.
The last teacher contract ended on August 31, 2013, and negotiations are still going on.
The Saskatchewan teachers rejected a 6.5 per cent wage increase over four years, offered last October, even after the Saskatchewan teachers federation told the teachers to vote in favour of the contract.
A second offer with a wage increase of 7.3 per cent wage increase over four years was also rejected just a couple of weeks ago in June, even after the Saskatchewan teachers federation told the teachers to again vote in favour of the deal.
Saskatchewan’s Education Minister, Don Morgan, says that class size and curriculum cannot be included in the contract.
What is ironic here is that the Saskatchewan teacher’s federation negotiated new contracts twice with the Saskatchewan government, advising the teachers to accept the offers, but still the teachers would not listen to their union.
In summary, it all boils down to the fact, that the majority of school teachers are greedy, and that Saskatchewan school teachers are greedier than their counterpart teachers in B.C.
What is amazing is even without a wage increase; most teachers are paid excellent wages and benefits and cannot seem to realize that they only have to work 188 days per year where the rest of us must work 238 days per year.
That, to me, is unbelievable, as they all have a university education.
It sure makes one wonder.
Joe Sawchuk,
Duncan, B.C.
