I had to re-read your June 14, 2014 editorial a few times until I realized your conclusion that "... victories at the bargaining table, not in the courtroom, are the only wins that matter" does not flow from your arguments that preceded it.
You are right when you agree with the two B.C. Supreme Court rulings that what Campbell and Clark did in 2001 was wrong, (although I like your later description "... crappy thing..." better). However, you fall down at the end of your editorial by inferring that all teachers need to do is bargain hard and the wins at the bargaining table that go into their collective agreements are all that matter in the end. It should be so, however it is not true here in B.C.
As the chief negotiator for the PGDTA during our 1988-90 contract negotiations when we were successful in achieving class size and class composition language in our local collective agreement, I know, through the give and take of negotiations, what teachers were prepared to give (lower salary expectations for one) to have their prime working conditions agreed to in their collective agreement. So, to follow your editorial logic, that should have been the only win that mattered.
In my opinion, if a union does not challenge the government or employer when the government or employer illegally takes away workers rights won at the bargaining table, why should the union exist at all? One of any union's prime duties is to protect its member's rights under their collective agreement. In this case, the BCTF has had to react to the B.C. government unilaterally stripping pre-existing contract language from teachers collective agreements now having to defend against the Liberals challenge to the Supreme Court of Canada of the B.C. Supreme Court ruling that went against the B.C. government (two times). It is a waste of taxpayer money that could have been used more wisely by the B.C. Liberals, had they acted properly, ethically and legally back in 2001. Taxpayers should not be on the hook, paying for government time, energy and legal bills trying to cover up their error in judgment. Most times one can make it through hard times when you know you are right; it's better than going through hard times when you are wrong.
Dick Gilbert
Prince George
