Brad Should Think About the Kids

Sorry Brad. Wrong again

I am getting a little fed up at the Regina Leader Post's editorial view of the teachers job action. This "Teachers should be thinking about the kids" attitude is puzzling. What ever happened to "The Government should be thinking of the kids"?

The Wall government has themselves in a bit of a jam these days. They have only themselves to blame.

First, Wall thought he was pretty smart when he had his people sidle up to the nurses in 2008 and slip them a 35% increase in wages. The move by Brad and the nurses threw a wrench into the works and undermined any efforts to build real collective action against the Government's hold the line bargaining. He out smarted most of the union side negotiators who thought they could wrestle something close to the same money for their members. They couldn't but, by the time they realized that, all the wind went out of the common front's sails.

Labour might not have won that round but, to their credit they have long memories.

The second thing that undermined Wall's bargaining position was his own love of the spotlight and his unchecked boosterism.

Wall is a born salesman. He should be selling vinyl siding. He even convinced the Globe & Mail that he was Prime Ministerial material.

Brad Wall has spent the last year telling all of us here in flat city and beyond, that now that the evil, job killing, small business hating, socialist leaning NDP have been dispatched, Saskatchewan is booming.

• Things have never been better. 
• People are flocking back from Alberta. 
• We are encouraging immigrants from Ontario
• Jobs, Jobs Jobs
• Saskatchewan is the place to be

The Sask Party is running the show so, Sis Saskaboom bitta bah, let the good times roll.

Not so fast Brad.

During the tough times Saskatchewan workers, particularly Saskatchewan government workers were pressed to take less. The government, a generally labour friendly government, convinced workers to take less that they deserved because "the money just isn't there." Labour grudgingly took one for the team to try and keep things on an even keel.

The assumption was always, "Ok, we'll take the hit when times are tough on the expectation that employers will be fair when times are good."

Sorry folks. Duped again.

So now the consummate showman is in a jam. How can he continue to say;

• You are asking for too much 
• We can't afford it.
• That teachers and health care workers don't deserve even half of what his government gave to nurses.

after he and his cronies have made so much out of the Saskaboom?

I for one am happy to sit this one out and watch Brad squirm.