Teachers flourish because public-sector unions have unique advantages. They have virtually no competition. They can operate as inefficiently as they want and never go bankrupt. They are masters at resisting accountability and entrenching rigid work rules that protect their members. Unlike private-sector unions, they don’t have to worry that their employer will go out of business. They can count on an endless supply of money, courtesy of the taxpayer. And if the money runs out, they can always lean on politicians to raise taxes.
Government unions are always lobbying for bigger government and higher taxes, because that means more members, more money and more power for them. Teachers’ unions have an extra edge because teachers are popular, and there are so many of them, and because teacher strikes are an awful nuisance to so many people. Governments hate teacher strikes because they know the public will blame them, too.
So when cuts must be made, it’s easier to cut something else. This year, Ontario unilaterally cut doctors’ fees by 4.45 per cent, and that may be just the start. The doctors howled, but nobody cared or even noticed. Most people figure that doctors have it pretty good, and the public will only start to notice when there aren’t enough of them. If the government tried to cut teachers’ salaries by the same amount, people would notice right away. There would be riots at Queen’s Park and chaos in the schools, and the teachers would be furious for a decade.
Why the teachers’ unions rule
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Originally Posted by killramos
Most teachers fresh out of school make more than most engineers as per the apega pay scale. They work less, have better benefits, mandatory raises, and quasi untouchability when it comes to dismissal. I mean as a Teacher you get something north of 3 months off work. So I am at a loss how anyone can argue that 100k with 3+ months off is not very well compensated.
