Editor, The News:
Re: “Teachers too easy” The News, July 9).
Seriously? This is journalism?
With the current climate of rampant misinformation and teacher-bashing, I suppose it should not surprise me that you didn’t even bother to pick up the phone to contact either the B.C. Teachers’ Federation or the local Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association to ask about picketing. Nope. No such due diligence – just another rant against teachers.
Considering I have been out on the picket line all week, I find your lack of journalistic integrity offensive.
Since I am a teacher, allow me to enlighten you. Yes, there are pickets up in Maple Ridge – where they are relevant.
A picket line is not simply thrown up as a public relations campaign. Picket lines affect other union employees.
A B.C. Teachers Federation picket line prevents other union members from crossing. This can especially affect Canadian Union of Public Employee members who are still at work at some sites- and at almost all schools in the last week of June.
This means lost wages for those employees. Several of those CUPE members were out this past week at the district education office on Brown Avenue in solidarity. There is also a line at Riverside Centre.
Picketing schools that are closed for the summer simply prevents union maintenance crews and any other union member from entering the property.
People seem to vilify teachers for the “terrible inconvenience” of this strike yet it seems we are damned if we do and we are damned if we don’t. We are trying not to create collateral damage.
So, how about getting your facts straight before you go to press?
How about a retraction and published apology on the front page?
Shelley Evans