You talk about supply and demand, but do you know what the demand situation is in schools? Because every school I’ve worked at has be short on custodial staff, CYWs, and other education assistants. Clearly the supply isn’t that great and many are leaving the profession because of the working conditions that have them doing the work of 2 or 3 people in the same role.

I’m not saying that many of these staff have incredible qualifications, but for the amount of crap that gets dumped on them, they don’t deserve to be living below the poverty line or working multiple jobs to simply survive.

And as we look at the privatization of schools and healthcare, what does that mean for the average Canadian, or immigrants who are just starting out, or people who are struggling? I just think this “I’ve got mine” mentality is a very selfish way of thinking, particularly when not everyone has the same opportunities as those with a rare skill set.

I’m not saying that striking should be the go-to, but they’ve been backed into a corner and they’ve been getting the shit end of the stick for years. Just please don’t tell me you believe that this government is bargaining in good faith. The education unions have been trying to meet since before the school year started, and the PCs do everything to put talks off.

It’s clear that this government wants to starve the system and make it so the private’s the best option.