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Teachers’ demands unrealistic

There are a number of people employed in private industry, employed in management, and paid a monthly salary that sometimes goes for four-plus years without a wage adjustment.That is the real life that teachers must start to realize.

There are a number of people employed in private industry, employed in management, and paid a monthly salary that sometimes goes for four-plus years without a wage adjustment.

That is the real life that teachers must start to realize.

Isn’t it amazing that our school teachers don’t have any understanding of economics. Ontario pays the highest average salary of $75,688, Alberta second at $74,299, and B.C. third at $72,242. Susan Lambert of the B.C. Teachers Federation must realize that it is the taxpayers that pay school teacher wages. If she thinks that the present government should adjust the teachers’ wages to that of Ontario and Alberta, then the B.C. taxpayers just have to pay more taxes. She has to realize that.

And now to the average B.C. working person. Your teachers in B.C., on average, are paid $63,869 to $71,831, with total working days of 188 after all professional days, stat holidays, Christmas and Easter breaks, and summer holidays are taken into account. You, on the other hand, will work 238 days after stat holidays, and an average of 15 days of vacation time are taken into account, with nowhere near the amount of these salaries.

Is it fair that you, the taxpayer, should sweeten the teachers’ pay package with higher taxes?

It is amazing that these university graduate people are teaching our kids and yet they cannot understand the above economics.

 

Joe Sawchuk

 

Editor's note: This letter was not written by Joe Sawchuk from Salmon Arm, but by a man of the same name who lives in Duncan, B.C. and responded to our online posting.