With the current labour dispute with the teachers, there has been a lot of talk about working conditions. For the most part, working conditions have been defined in quantitative terms: How many kids are in a classroom? How many kids have special needs? How many kids haven't been formally identified as needing extra help? And how much should a teacher make? I believe people need to be fairly compensated. I think teachers need more support for class composition. I think school districts put in great effort, in consultation with teachers, on the number and makeup of classes. But these are only part of what makes up working conditions.
I am fortunate to be employed by one of the top 20 mid-size workplaces in Canada, according to the Great Places to Work Institute.
But we work at it. Every day. It's like any important relationship - we talk, but more importantly, we listen, and we work towards resolving issues as a group. We all have a stake in making this a great workplace.
I can't say how many of the schools in B.C. are great places to work, but given what I've been reading in social media, it seems some don't feel they are. Aside from the contracts, the posturing and the rhetoric, this dispute will be resolved, and our teachers, our EAs, our other support staff and our administrators will go back to teaching. What I hope is that teachers feel our schools are great workplaces, because a happy teacher, someone who looks forward to the day and knows they are making a difference in the lives of children is all that really matters.
Teachers work hard. They come to school with a plan that can come off the rails depending on how one child is feeling that day. Kids will be kids; they are going to feel the way they feel. As adults, we can talk to each other, recognize when we are having a bad day and try to maintain our composure until we are feeling better. It doesn't always happen that way with children.
But as long as where you work is a place you want to go to every day, where you feel valued, respected, supported and have a sense of accomplishment, even the days where things go wrong won't seem as difficult. Challenging yes, but easier to overcome.
It involves feedback, conversation and sometimes recognizing you aren't perfect. It can be uncomfortable, difficult to address and stressful, but in the end, the relationships people have with their co-workers will determine working conditions more than anything else. Unfortunately, those are attributes that can't be bargained for in a labour negotiation.
I hope what I've read and heard is just the emotion of the situation because if people really feel that way, it can't be good for anyone, especially the students.
In my previous column regarding the outcome of the Southlands vote at Metro Vancouver, I mentioned that 12 votes were not cast. Of the 12, seven were from Abbotsford, which is not eligible to vote on these matters. Only five eligible votes were not cast, as Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was absent for the vote. I apologize for any confusion.
