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Letters: An unholy alliance

Letter writer unhappy with Tom Fletcher's apparent bias

ero wage increases, teachers are offered a wage package that ensures their wages will continue to fall behind the cost of living for a decade - all to subsidize ill conceived tax cuts to business by disgraced former premier Gordon Campbell.

The unholy alliance between corporate power and BC Liberal politicians keeps the Liberals in power thanks to corporate campaign contributions in return for government generosity paid by tax dollars. Witness the reciprocal favours between our government and Western Forest Products, Telus, the fish farm industry and Postmedia  to name only a few. The result is a depleted public treasury, shredded social programs, burdened schools, hospitals, seniors, handicapped and the poor. That’s how it works in this province, government diverts money to business and business kicks back money to keep the Liberals in power.

Teacher wage goals are fair and teachers should be admired for taking a stand to protect their standard of living and the quality of education in our classrooms.

Five years of costly university with a possible student loan debt of $40,000-$50,000 to start at the bottom of a 10-year ladder to get to full pay is a long 15-year apprenticeship unheard of in most occupations.

Conservative shills like Fletcher promote a race to the bottom economy where unionized people are scorned for wanting decent wages and benefits - if the private sector doesn’t have it, why should unions? Fletcher needs to review his history lessons that show we would not have a middle class and the general quality of wages and benefits that Canadians enjoy were it not for the sacrifices of unionized and non-unionized workers despite entrenched resistance from “Our” government and business. Historically union wages and benefits have helped private sector wages and benefits.

Right wing politicians are running public education into the ground here, in the U.S.A., the U.K., Australia and elsewhere. If teachers can stand strong against the overwhelming odds of this corporate/political menace not only will our children benefit from decent schools, their efforts might help stem the tide of the politically sponsored attack on a decent standard of living Canadians want and deserve. Fletcher’s predictable bias does nothing to help B.C. in general and B.C. school kids in particular.

Ted Roberts

Sook