Sarah Berman is an editor at The Tyee. Her writing has appeared in VICE, Adbusters, Maclean's, the Globe and Mail and many others.
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It's been three months since The Tyee first asked readers where they stand on the teachers' strike. Over 1,000 readers responded; most of them stood behind the teachers' job action in May.
After a long, fruitless summer with little movement on either side, The Tyee asked again: have your sympathies changed in the teachers strike? Thousands responded to the poll, an overwhelming 89 per cent of which said they still support B.C. teachers.
The numbers closely follow The Tyee's May query, but a change of tone was evident in the comments. This time, many poll responders vented their frustrations with both sides of the dispute:
Only five per cent of responders said their position had changed over the summer, 35 per cent of whom now support the government. None of those who polled in favour of the government cited the $40-per-day compensation for parents with children under 12. Instead, government supporters criticized the teachers' position on wages and bonuses.
Other government supporters questioned striking as a tactic:
However, the vast majority of poll respondents described even stronger support for the striking teachers. An additional three per cent said they changed their position to support the teachers' union. Many respondents described chronic underfunding and poor regulation on class size and composition as reasons for their support:
Others pointed to two B.C. Supreme Court cases that declared the BC Liberals' did not negotiate in good faith.
Regardless of position, Tyee readers are strong supporters of education as a democratic right.
The Tyee Poll is not a scientific poll, but rather is intended to get the pulse of Tyee readers and the wider community. Check out this week's poll, which asks how readers are showing their support for teachers and government, here.
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