Teachers bought this government in the last election, and the taxpayers voted to ratify the deal.  Teachers will get everything they want. 

They can hide from the Sunshine list by moving the increase into non-salary benefits (eg: banking sick days), or playing with the timing of payments.

Tom is correct in his last sentence-“They can hide from the Sunshine list by moving the increase into non-salary benefits (eg: banking sick days), or playing with the timing of payments”. In any other public sector organization (O.P.P, Hydro One,Management Board, other staffings,etc) such banking is an accepted and has been a utilized practice for many years. Why should this be any different for teachers?
If one has many years of tenure coupled with ladder movement, a $100,000 teaching salary should not be held in contempt. In fact, this salary is basically a necessity for subsisting as a one-income family in Ontario these days. Not too many complaints otherwise in other sectors.

So what about the 5% of teachers who voted against strike action? What about those who did not vote either red or orange? Are we to be lumped in with the “teachers”? Some of us begrudgingly give a portion of our pay to Sam Hammond in order to pay his salary and his pension. This is not by choice. The union that I pay my dues to hasn’t done anything for me yet. I was told that I fight for my future rights. I am 38 years old and my future with or without the union is pretty much the same.

I entered public education because I see a broken system and I want to be a part of the rebuild. A broken system runs from accountability.

Mark Holmes words are strong and there is something compelling about a clean slate when it comes to teachers. My question to Mark Holmes has to do with the fact that teachers do not have an opt out option when it comes to the union. Are you suggesting that all members of a teachers’ union should lose their job? Would we be able to apply for teaching positions after the mass firing? The current Liberal gov’t says they have backbone and will negotiate but they have been known to cave a time or two. In the event of the gov’t caving, those of us who have spoken out will be black listed and will not get jobs. Please be aware that some of us aren’t the enemy.

There are some very good teachers in the school system: they truly care about educating and guiding children to develop into caring, responsible and productive adults. Sadly their efforts get lost in disruptive labour disputes as well as board-led initiatives focused on money and politics, both of which pay little attention to developing children. Before we fire all the teachers, let’s reduce the power of the unions and the top-heavy board administration.

My questions are to Paul and the 5%.

When did you stand up and protest against the forced union membership?
Did anyone write letters to the newspapers or go to the TV media to tell them your story?
Did anyone seek legal council to get out of the union?
If it’s so bad why don’t you all get together and make your own private school?

The best idea would be to fire all the teachers and start a whole new school system without school boards and unions.

Most of the comments are valid.

There are some good teachers whose vocation it is to teach - not manipulate students, parents and the education system.

Joining the union should be optional.  I belonged to a powerful BC union and did not agree with their demands most of the time. 

I was always a conscientious employee, serving the public to the best of my ability, and sometimes got in trouble with my union for going that “extra mile”, because it was “not in my job description”.

What really annoyed me to see was lazy, incompetent employees being defended by the union.

I definitely think the power and stranglehold of the unions would be broken if membership was optional.

Steve said “$100,000 teaching salary should not be held in contempt. In fact, this salary is basically a necessity for subsisting as a one-income family in Ontario these days”

This is where some unionized teachers have their heads in the clouds. First of all many union members marry other highly paid members. Second, most spouses work outside the house today. Third is that a family could easily live on half of $100,000 unless they were wasteful spenders.

At one time our employers based our salaries on our individual responsibilities and needs. The greed slipped in with unions and ‘equality’.

A whole book could be written about this waste.