Goodwill?

"When all other avenues for recourse are taken from us by the hammer of legislation, then we will fight back with the means we have available.
"She did the one thing she absolutely shouldn't have done, which is take an irrevocable step that's going to have, at this point it would appear, a two-year impact on the operation of schools."
Harvey Bischof, vice-president, Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation

It seems there is a simple enough solution to the stand-off between the Ontario Ministry of Education and the province's teachers.  Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten could save herself a lot of sleepless nights, could save the teachers' unions a whole whack of aggravation, could save the province's parents and their children the lack of certainty that a wholesome and complete education experience will be theirs, by simply abdicating.

Right, Minister Broten should transfer authority from her duly elected position to the authority of the unions whose prevailing view is that the Ministry has failed the teachers.  In attempting to ensure that the children of the province are assured the quality of education that they deserve, a deficit-plagued province has hurt the sensitivities of their former allies.  Allies when the government was feeling flush and determined to stay on good terms with public service unions.

Stark enemies, on the other hand, when a reasonable enough expectation - given the salary and perquisite advances signed by the government and the unions during the years of generous settlements - was expressed that unions would see their way clear to notching down expectations.  If the bank is broke, no salaries will be raised.  And perquisites like banked sick days a tad too rich for a struggling economy.

The union leaders like the power they have to throw their dissatisfied weight around, to challenge the legislative powers in a democracy, of a government that has displeased them.  And Minister Broten has come out with a contract imposed on striking education workers.  Unacceptable, in the opinion of the leaders.  "In the interest of students families and all Ontarians, I have been left with no other reasonable option", said Ms. Broten.  Doing her job.

"You cannot legislate goodwill" growled Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.  "You cannot impose goodwill on my members."  Perish the very thought.  And because wages have been frozen, sick days slashed, and unused sick days no longer banked, goodwill has collapsed, vanished, disappeared, and the result will be felt.  The students whose educational and social welfare the unions and the teachers care so deeply for, will be the beneficiaries of that dessicated goodwill.

The union has set out the strictures required for teachers to express their displeasure.  Aside from cutting off extracurricular activities to benefit students there will be no attendance at open house/information sessions, no response to parental emails, no parent interviews outside regular hours, no progress reports and no goodwill.  Possibly until the end of the contract, some time in 2014.  And, so there...