Since the beginning of the PSAC strike, the kids on Six Nations have been out of school because we teachers are employed by the Federal Government. This story has received virtually zero national coverage, and neither PSAC nor the Canadian Government talk about Indigenous students on the Reserve when they tally the impact of the strike. If the PSAC strike selectively affected all of the students in a major city life Hamilton, while every other child in Canada continued to go to school, then that story would be central to all discussions about the impact of the strike. The news reports that strike has now ‘escalated’ to picketing ports and causing ‘minor disruptions‘ at Pearson. And PSAC president, Chris Aylward, says it’s important that the government feels the pressure with the ‘least amount of impact for the public’ (9:50). While there are nearly 47,000 essential workers, my students are not in school. The students on Six Nations of the Grand River have felt the maximum possible impact since the first day of the strike.
Global, CBC, CP24 ran brief stories at the beginning of the strike. Some other Reserves in Canada have Federal Schools that are closed, but I honestly don’t know enough, and there’s not enough in the news, for me to write about this. More locally, Turtle Island News has interviewed teachers on the picket line and the The Brantford Expositor interviewed my colleague Lenora Maracle today (this article is free and essential reading).
I’m in the PSAC union and support worker’s rights. Everyone’s wages should keep pace with inflation, which is driven by corporate greed and profits, and not workers’ wages. Employers don’t voluntarily give workers the rights and wages they deserve. Without the power of unions and strikes, work would look drastically different for all of us. Teachers especially need strong unions given the conservative attacks on education that we have witnessed across North America.
You might sense a ‘but’ coming, but it’s an ‘and’. And I’m Haudenosaunee and teach on Six Nations. And Indigenous students on Reserves deserve better from the Federal Government, as the Government itself admits. And PSAC needs to talk thoughtfully in the national media about the impact of the strike on the students of Six Nations when they talk about picketing ports. And every Canadian should pressure the Government to actively bargain around the clock, especially since most Canadians support the union demands.
I want to wake up and find Canadians united in productive outrage that my students aren’t in school so we can get back to the classroom.
*the featured image of teachers from Six Nations is mine as was take in Hamilton before the picket line moved to Ohsweken.