Striking Teachers

Driving from Edmonton to Calgary, I hear on the radio that teachers in Parkland (a county in Alberta) are on strike and rejected the latest offer. For the 9500 students there has been no school since February 17 (and today is March 7). Why do teachers (somewhere in Canada) are always on strike, or about to go on strike? Why? Why? Why?

I know I will anger a lot of you out there, but this is what I really hate about being a teacher: being part of a union. Am I a coal miner, working under such terrible conditions that I need to collectively be represented by some union guys? Am I not a professional, able to negociate my own contract, my own terms and conditions (like any other professional)?

Teachers get a bad rep, because of the endless strikes. There is an image that we work part time, have the summers off, etc., and yet we "complain" so much: want more money, get better benefits, improve our working conditions.

Of course, as a teacher I understand that we don't have a part time job, that during the school year, we work day and night (preping, marking, teaching, coaching, etc.). Teaching is not an easy job - we always have to be "on", we have to be enthusiastic, be in a good mood constantly. But this is not reason enough to strike.

I may be naiive, but I think if we were "independent" and not part of the union, we would make more money, we would be better teachers, and we would get the respect from the common people that we deserve.