Beat Klossner Asks:
Preparing for bargaining for the next collective agreement between teachers and the employers is currently underway.
Should teachers/ support staff be considered an "essential service" when bargaining time comes around?
No. Collective bargaining is a democratic right. In BC it is restricted to police, fire and healthcare so that it prevents immediate danger. While education is a basic human right, collective bargaining does not put children in immediate danger and forces the employer and union to negotiate. Working in healthcare myself, I have have seen first hand how an essential service designation slows down the bargaining process.