Last week’s strike vote by teachers certainly feels like a déjà vu moment.

Didn’t we go through this not long ago? It’s hard to keep track these days.

But we do know that students and parents have enough to worry about without dealing with potential strike action . . .  again.

Let’s get this out of the way first: Teachers are incredible people. They have such a positive impact on our children, not just academically but mentally (confidence, self-esteem, etc.).

Teachers are highly skilled, and they are continually upgrading to keep current in our children’s educational needs.

Teachers are well paid, and so they should be. The average teacher in BC makes $71,000 a year. They get two weeks off at Christmas, two weeks off during spring break, and July and August. But what most people don’t see is teachers putting in a lot of extra hours at home marking papers and preparing for the next day. And don’t forget the training seminars and other workshops they attend.

We totally support teachers in bargaining class size and composition. This right should never have been taken away by the Christy Clark government.

Class sizes need to be addressed because some students may fall through the cracks by not getting the one-on-one time they need. And because of increasing stress and anxiety among students, more special needs support is required in the classroom.

It’s going to cost a ton of money to address these problems, but it’s an important investment.

However, when it comes to increased wages, that’s where teachers might be hard-pressed to find a legion of fans.

This province is still trying to recover from the 2008 recession. Companies are still shutting down and laying off workers, storefronts are still sitting empty, and the unemployment rate is still depressing.

The fact is many workers in various employment sectors are doing without raises and have done so for years.

We don’t see the government’s offer of 6.5 per cent as a slap in the face to teachers. We see that as fair considering the current state of the economy. Many people would argue that this offer is more than generous.

Bottom line: We don’t need a strike, and we don’t want one. Teachers need to be realistic and the government has to stop being so pig-headed.

Surely, a compromise can be reached to appease all parties while keeping the needs of students in the forefront.

Time for a no-strike moment.

Lyonel Doherty, Editor