PENTICTON, BC — When teachers march the picket line, they often receive support from the public in a variety of different ways: a friendly honk, a wave.
But Orin Beebe goes beyond the everyday gestures. The Penticton man has been spending time with teachers in various local schools.
“The everyday person has got to do something. If not me — who, right?”
He has a day job, running a door business, but whenever he has a couple of hours to spare, he would spend it with the teachers.
He’s also digging deep into his pockets, offering $1,000 to help pay for new rally signs and assist those who are financially struggling.
“We’re going to put some money into the teacher relief fund because there’s a whole bunch of teachers who are having a hard time right now,” Beebe explains.
Teachers say they appreciate the encouragement.
“It boosts morale because you feel like you’ve got support. You’re not just doing it on your own and you feel like you’re doing it for a good reason,” says Marsha Saldat.
Beebe is cautiously optimistic that the labour dispute will end in the near future, but until that happens, he will continue standing in solidarity with the educators.
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