The Coalition

Earlier today I logged onto Rick Guenther's Facebook page to see how things were going.  It can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/RickGuenther.BCTF.Executive.  Some good posts, some good ideas, and some good conversations.

Out of curiousity I decided to go Susan Lambert's page, but couldn't find it.  That's weird I thought to myself, I know she has one.  Then I realized she hadn't opened it to the public.

If I logged in as my alter-ego Qdta teachers I could view the page but not as myself.  I can't help but wonder how many teachers she is alienating by not having it public.  Or better yet how many teachers she is alienating by being a member of the coalition...what's that you ask?  Let me let the BCTF explain it:

A coalition is a group of individuals, representatives or organizations working together for a common cause, to achieve a common goal or resolve a problem that they have in common.

Or better yet: http://www.votecoalition.ca/ (granted this is last year's page, but sub in Vancouver instead of Victoria and a couple of Member at Large changes and its the same stuff, different pile)

You see Susan Lambert, as well as the 1st and 2nd VP, and the majority of members at large of the BCTF belong to a political party within the BCTF known as The Coalition.   

This of course got me thinking...is a coalition good for the BCTF?  

Simple answer?  No.

I think back to last year's AGM when a controversial motion was passed regarding a fee increase.  The membership was split but every single (and I mean every) member of the coalition supported it.  That was one of the first instances where I realized that an entity which may not have my best interests at heart controlled the BCTF.  If the membership was split why wasn't the Coalition?  I asked a member and was informed "that the coalition is like-minded, so it makes sense they would vote that way, but every one could vote how ever they wanted" (I can't remember which one said that to me, but I do remember the words)  I can't help but feel that the coalition has grown to the point where maybe their control has become detrimental.  The fee increased passed, barely, but it passed.

The funny thing was that nobody seemed to really know anything about the Coalition.  Until Rick decided to run against incumbent President Susan Lambert.  All of sudden people were questioning why the decisions made within the BCTF were done so by a coalition.  The union which claimed to be the most democratic union in the world.

The Burnaby Teachers Association has put through a motion for the AGM this year for Electoral reform.  I think it is high time the BCTF have some electoral reform.  I know there is the technology in place to allow the members of the BCTF to vote how they see fit.  Perhaps that could lessen the control one group has over 41,000 teachers.

My vote is for Rick Guenther and an end to the coalition.