The ongoing battle between the Ontario government and its deficit/debt has created substantial collateral damage for teachers. Never in the public’s favour, teachers are now targeted for wage freezes and wage cuts so they can do their part for austerity. The public agrees and so Ontario’s teachers will have no choice but to suck-it-up and fall a few rungs down the economic ladder.

For those of you in other parts of Canada (and the world), the fact is simple: governments spent a lot of money on dubious vote-getting schemes (how about a billion dollars for crappy security at the G20?) and need to pay for some of those mistakes. In Ontario the governing party (this is irrelevant since every party that has held power in the past twenty years has come after teachers) is pretending to negotiate what is ultimately-for them-nonnegotiable. They want a billion-plus dollars from teachers and they are going to get it.

So that you can gain some perspective on the issues, here is a list of “backgrounders” that offer a teacher perspective on the government’s demands.

1. the wage freeze

2. sick leave

3. grid freeze

4. Ontario’s Austerity