Dear Editor:
Elizabeth McLenehan's letter defending teachers lacks balance, in my opinion (Education Needs the Best, March 16, North Shore News).
I won't argue with what happens in class, having not been there for decades, nor can I judge the fairness of teachers' pay; however, I will state my experience in the world of engineering and business to which she compares her profession.
As a professional engineer, I never got paid overtime as she suggests junior engineers do, except when filling in six days a week, 12 hours a day for weeks to replace strikers.
Most professionals I know put in as much or more unpaid overtime than she describes, especially in urgent business situations. On business deals or projects I could be away from home for weeks or months, leaving the wife to manage four kids. I never got summers off, paid or otherwise.
I had no union protection (nor did I want it) and could be fired for any (or no) reason, albeit with severance, and I would surely be fired for incompetence.
In the early years, we were typically transferred from province to province every three to four years (and once to Venezuela). This is tough on families and particularly wives and kids, and on some postings, the wife could not work if she wished to, but refusing a transfer normally flat-lines a career. And my pension sure is not indexed.
Do teachers bear these burdens? If you are going to complain you are paid less than an engineer, you may wish to learn what it is like to be in our shoes - and those of many other non-teacher professionals. Having said that, I liked my shoes, and had I been as unhappy as some teachers claim to be, I would have moved to another role.
John Hunter , North Vancouver
