UGGGGG!!! My DS school is going to strike!!

[tinkernelllec]

While I understand the need for a teacher's union, I am very upset that my DS school is planning a strike starting on Monday. This not only affects his education but many other things including my Disney vacation!!! I now have to find someone to babysit on the days of the strike so I can still go to work (I am a nurse and feel my job is just as important as a teachers). This strike affects my November vacation of which we were planning around the thanksgiving holiday so he would only miss 3 days of school for a FAMILY vacation. It will affect my DH and my anniversary vacation in the spring (around Easter so it didn't interfer with DS's school) and depending on how long they strike for, it will affect our June Family Vacation. Now while I am clearly upset about the vacations, I am even more upset about the fact that he will be missing school for the teachers to complain that they don't make enough money. Sorry!......being a nurse.... I feel I don't make enough money for keeping YOU alive!!! (By you, I mean people in general, not just teachers) I work 12 to 16 hour shifts, and I don't get off every holiday and 3 months in the summer. Teachers make more than nurses. Go figure.

Sorry about the ranting, just mad!!!

[karinbelle]

Without the ability to strike, the union is powerless. It is a necessary evil. Teacher pay has not kept up with inflation for years, and they continue to degrade our benefit packages.

I'm sorry you are inconvenienced.

You can look at this issue another way. Hopefully, the school system will come to its senses and not force the teachers into a strike. Perhaps you should call your school board and voice your support of the teacher's request for fair pay -- and let them know that they have inconvenienced your family by not fairly negotiating with teachers.

Teachers take care of the most precious part of your life -- your children.

Hope it all works out.

[tmt martins]

Sorry but unless your in upper mangement No-ones pay has kept up with inflation.

Teacher are civil servents and SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STRIKE. If they don't like the pay then leave and let someone else do the job.

I understand it's a tough job but so is everyone elses.

[woodchuck]

I though that being a teacher was to help the kids? Having a walk out is not helping the kids. Every ones jobs are hard and they do not make to right amount for what they are doing. So I'm with you on this.

[AJKMOM]

Considering the important job they do, I don't think teachers, the good ones that is, make enough money. My only beef with the teachers unions is that they protect the bad teachers who should be shown the door.

Where I live civil servants, like police and firefighters can strike, too. Not sure where it is that civil servants can not strike, not here.

[gmboy95]

I find this thought process that teachers cant strike and should basically shut up and teach to be nothing short of insulting to all the highly educated professionals teaching YOUR children on a daily basis....This is straight out of a Bill O'Reilly episode, a whole lot of bluster, very little logic.

Stock brokers,computer techs, CEO's, politicians, etc....make hundreds of thousands of dollars and we are perfectly content to pay high prices for goods to support the corporate welfare that lines there pockets, but we have such a difficult time thinking that people who work with our most cherished assets, our children, should be paid as THE MOST VALUABLE professionals that they are....Idont know about you, but i want nothing but the best for my children, and am willing to pay for it.

In my home state of massachusetts teachers are required to be masters level, and they are required to do so without any assistance from their school systems because people like you feel that we should not pay for our teachers to become more educated. This leads to teachers running up upwards of $50,000 in education debt alone.

What a country...if you choose to work with children, you are considered a civil SERVANT and should just shut up. Well here is hoping your children dont go to a school that true professionals avoid because they cant make a wage worthy of their extroidanary ability.....how about you step into a classroom, write up a lesson plan, and show all the civil SERVANTS how it is done....until then, continue to get all your incomplte info from talk radio and bad fox news channel reports....the rest of us are too busy educating our children to compete in a global economy.

Support your local teacher unions, because they support your children. It is much bigger then any disney trip.....walk the line with these men and women and stand up for your children.

By the way I am not a teacher, but a parent.....Also i noticed there was a nurse who posted a complaint. I recently supported a local nursing strike where managment was forcing nurses to accept mandatory overtime that forced nurses to work 16 hour shifts multiple times per week which endangered the safety of patients....these brave men and women risked losing their jobs in order to not only fight for what was right, but to pave the way for future nurses to not be treated in such a disrespectful way. these nurses lost 4 months of pay, many will never recover from the financial hit...but i guarantee that all would walk that line tommorow if it meant improving the condition for those who may come later. these where brave people and heroes to working men and women everywhere

[tmt martins]

No matter how you put it they took the job and can leave when they want.

If they want more pay then get the right politicians in office to get it done.But to put the KIDS educations on hold because they the ADULTS can't come to an agreement it pitiful.

I pay taxes to a system I would never send my child to then pay a private school a hugh amount to make sure my child is educated and given the oppertunity to excell.

This should all be done way before the start of school and if contracts are not signed by then at that time they need to make decisions on what to do. To start school then go on strike is unjust to the kids.

[Aliisa]

I find this thought process that teachers cant strike and should basically shut up and teach to be nothing short of insulting to all the highly educated professionals teaching YOUR children on a daily basis....This is straight out of a Bill O'Reilly episode, a whole lot of bluster, very little logic.

Stock brokers,computer techs, CEO's, politicians, etc....make hundreds of thousands of dollars and we are perfectly content to pay high prices for goods to support the corporate welfare that lines there pockets, but we have such a difficult time thinking that people who work with our most cherished assets, our children, should be paid as THE MOST VALUABLE professionals that they are....Idont know about you, but i want nothing but the best for my children, and am willing to pay for it.

In my home state of massachusetts teachers are required to be masters level, and they are required to do so without any assistance from their school systems because people like you feel that we should not pay for our teachers to become more educated. This leads to teachers running up upwards of $50,000 in education debt alone.

What a country...if you choose to work with children, you are considered a civil SERVANT and should just shut up. Well here is hoping your children dont go to a school that true professionals avoid because they cant make a wage worthy of their extroidanary ability.....how about you step into a classroom, write up a lesson plan, and show all the civil SERVANTS how it is done....until then, continue to get all your incomplte info from talk radio and bad fox news channel reports....the rest of us are too busy educating our children to compete in a global economy.

Support your local teacher unions, because they support your children. It is much bigger then any disney trip.....walk the line with these men and women and stand up for your children.

By the way I am not a teacher, but a parent.....Also i noticed there was a nurse who posted a complaint. I recently supported a local nursing strike where managment was forcing nurses to accept mandatory overtime that forced nurses to work 16 hour shifts multiple times per week which endangered the safety of patients....these brave men and women risked losing their jobs in order to not only fight for what was right, but to pave the way for future nurses to not be treated in such a disrespectful way. these nurses lost 4 months of pay, many will never recover from the financial hit...but i guarantee that all would walk that line tommorow if it meant improving the condition for those who may come later. these where brave people and heroes to working men and women everywhere

Very well said!!!!
BTW Go Pats :cheer2:

[karinbelle]

You do realize there is already a teacher shortage in critical areas - such as science, math, and special education?

So if all of us "just shut up and teach" or "Leave the job for something else" who will teach your children.

Please support your teacher's union. Unions are there to protect middle class families -- no one else will stick up for them.

Sorry your vacation may be interrupted.

[disneyjunkie]

No matter how you put it they took the job and can leave when they want.

If they want more pay then get the right politicians in office to get it done.But to put the KIDS educations on hold because they the ADULTS can't come to an agreement it pitiful.

I pay taxes to a system I would never send my child to then pay a private school a hugh amount to make sure my child is educated and given the oppertunity to excell.

This should all be done way before the start of school and if contracts are not signed by then at that time they need to make decisions on what to do. To start school then go on strike is unjust to the kids.


:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[java]

I think the teachers in our town are getting paid well and by getting paid well- I mean a starting salary around $40,000 with a few upper level teachers making $70,000. And full health and dental. And a day that ends at 3(although a select few stay late and give their personal time) All holidays off and summers off. All wonderful benefits that I think the unions forget about. Benefits that no other worker in America has. The job of the union is to get as much as they can. So even if it is unreasonable they will fight for it. Why aren't salaries based on performance? Why are sub par teachers even neglectful ones protected by the union? Can you tell I don't love the union. I have teacher friends that say they are not fans either.

[donac]

AS a teacher I feel that the Board of Ed and the union leaders should be locked in a room and not allowed out until they reach an agreement. I also feel that each member of the negotiating committee should spend at least a week in the classroom to see what a real teacher goes through. Then let them tell me how easy my job is.

[Corwin12]

1.) The Teacher's Union is a self-licking ice cream cone: they only exist to justify their own existence

2.) The education system in this country is abysmal ... we continue to decline every year compared to other industrialized nations. The answer: lower the standards!

3.) My 3rd grade nephew is learning some wonderful things in class, such as: Tolerance, Why "Under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, and Feelings class

4.) Any little boy who acts like a little boy obviously needs to be medicated because there is something wrong with him

I used to work in the education system, but when I tried to instill self-reliance, healthy competition, and personal responsibility, I was black balled. I now build houses for a living.

[taximomfor4]

I think the teachers in our town are getting paid well and by getting paid well- I mean a starting salary around $40,000 with a few upper level teachers making $70,000. And full health and dental. And a day that ends at 3(although a select few stay late and give their personal time) All holidays off and summers off. All wonderful benefits that I think the unions forget about. Benefits that no other worker in America has. The job of the union is to get as much as they can. So even if it is unreasonable they will fight for it. Why aren't salaries based on performance? Why are sub par teachers even neglectful ones protected by the union? Can you tell I don't love the union. I have teacher friends that say they are not fans either.

I disagree. At least here, the union is just trying to get the teachers A raise. They have taken pay freeze after pay freeze, and benefit cuts that cost more than their negotiated smaller raise gives (resulting in LESS takehome pay) for 4 years now. All that occured because the teachers VOTED to let it occur, hoping to not negatively impact the kids with a strike. Yes, dh can pick up, lose tenure, and move elsewhere to another district. But why, when it sounds like the next teacher job will have the same danger of paycut, payfreeze, loss of benefits, and striking.

ABout strking BEFORE the school year starts, what good would THAT do? It would just carry over into the start of the school year since the school would have no interest in negotiating until their feet were held to the fire. I think the IDEAL time to strike would be in March, RIGHT before the stupid proficiency tests start.

I remember my teachers striking when I was in 4th grade. At first, they got subs in to teach but the people they got were so inexperienced and/or TERRIBLE at teaching that my mom finally pulled us out of school completely for the remainder of the strike. I believe about 3 kids in my class kept attending. The rest of us, with our parents, began bringing lunch and coffee to the picketing teachers, and writing letters (yes, kids too) to the administrators.

I was proud to marry a teacher, because I KNOW he isn't in it for the money --- he is in it for honorable, admirable reasons. But I am realistic to know that I had to leave my job and go to nursing school in order to have a better-paying more steady job than him.

Our country wonders why educationally, our public schools are so inadequate. They need to take a look around the world and see what ALL other industrialized countries do.

[D3sdoll]

1.) The Teacher's Union is a self-licking ice cream cone: they only exist to justify their own existence

4.) Any little boy who acts like a little boy obviously needs to be medicated because there is something wrong with him

I couldn't agree more. Unions give people something to "depend" on. No, thank you. I can depend on myself. Also, I'll tell you what the cure is for most ADHD kids - better parenting. (see I said most - not all, as I am not a doctor).

While I support teachers, I have an Aunt who is a teacher's assistant and I have been to MANY parties (all kinds - make-up, tupperware, birthdays, drinking, etc.). Teachers seem to just "get through" there job. I am very glad that they are from a different school then my children attend. Yes, it is from a different part of town but I don't think education should waiver because of economics.

I am so tired of hearing about how we need to depend on unions or the government. PAH-LEASE!!! If you don't like your situation then YOU should get out and do something about it!

when I tried to instill self-reliance, healthy competition, and personal responsibility, I was black balled.

This is exactly why I am self-employed.

[madonna31]

Teachers make more than nurses. Go figure.

And bellhops at Disney's Deluxe Resorts make more than teachers.

Oh the irony.

[taximomfor4]

. Teachers make more than nurses. Go figure.

Sorry about the ranting, just mad!!!


I am going to graduate RN school in May, and have talked to the HR's at hospitals inmy area already. I will start at almost exactly the same pay dh makes (11 yrs into teaching ). Perhaps it is different in other parts of the country. Oh, he will pass me by in pay when his Masters Degree raise comes in...by $4k more per year (and an additional $25k in student loans -- tuition reimbursement was only $500/yr).

Just wanted to mention that teachers don't make more EVERYWHERE. Not even sure about MOST places.

[noodleknitter]

1.) The Teacher's Union is a self-licking ice cream cone: they only exist to justify their own existence

2.) The education system in this country is abysmal ... we continue to decline every year compared to other industrialized nations. The answer: lower the standards!

3.) My 3rd grade nephew is learning some wonderful things in class, such as: Tolerance, Why "Under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, and Feelings class

4.) Any little boy who acts like a little boy obviously needs to be medicated because there is something wrong with him

I used to work in the education system, but when I tried to instill self-reliance, healthy competition, and personal responsibility, I was black balled. I now build houses for a living.

:thumbsup2 If someone wants to be considered a professional then they should act like one. Striking is not professional.

If teachers want respect, then they need to bag the unions, and that lovely organization, the NEA.

[disneyandme]

Some of these attitudes are what drive good teachers out of teaching and on to higher paying and less stressful jobs. My first teaching job paid $16500 yr. That was 10 yrs ago. Not all areas of the country pay $40-70k for experienced teachers. By the way, I also had a masters degree at the time. My federal taxes that year put me below waht was considered poverty taxes!!! I also had a class of 36 kids with no assistant. I don't know any teachers who only work from 8-3:00. You can't survive if you do. When do papers get graded, new assignments get planned, parent phone calls made, meeting and conferences fit in. I could go on and on.
Teachers work very hard because they love to teach. They wouldn't be there otherwise. Please support your teachers!!!!

[momof2inPA]

:thumbsup2 If someone wants to be considered a professional then they should act like one. Striking is not professional.

If teachers want respect, then they need to bag the unions, and that lovely organization, the NEA.

Why would they "bag" the union? That doesn't make any sense. Teachers have made great strides in pay and benefits because of the mere fact that there IS a teacher's union. There's strength in numbers, expecially for negotiation.

The administrators all go to the same negotiating training programs, which teach them to hold out on the contract until the teachers have to strike or give in to practically no raises. These training programs should be ignored, and people should behave like human beings. Locking both side in a room until a contract is reached sounds like a great idea.

[momof2inPA]

Some of these attitudes are what drive good teachers out of teaching and on to higher paying and less stressful jobs. My first teaching job paid $16500 yr. That was 10 yrs ago. Not all areas of the country pay $40-70k for experienced teachers. By the way, I also had a masters degree at the time. My federal taxes that year put me below waht was considered poverty taxes!!! I also had a class of 36 kids with no assistant. I don't know any teachers who only work from 8-3:00. You can't survive if you do. When do papers get graded, new assignments get planned, parent phone calls made, meeting and conferences fit in. I could go on and on.
Teachers work very hard because they love to teach. They wouldn't be there otherwise. Please support your teachers!!!!

$16,500 and 36 kids per class-- that's shameful.

[noodleknitter]

Why would they "bag" the union? That doesn't make any sense. Teachers have made great strides in pay and benefits because of the mere fact that there IS a teacher's union. There's strength in numbers, expecially for negotiation.

The administrators all go to the same negotiating training programs, which teach them to hold out on the contract until the teachers have to strike or give in to practically no raises. These training programs should be ignored, and people should behave like human beings. Locking both side in a room until a contract is reached sounds like a great idea.

My opinion is that this is not how professionals behave. They whine about the lack of respect, and then pull crap like this. This is not the way to gain support from anyone, except possible the kids, who are usually fed a bunch of BS/union propaganda before the strike.

My heart just doesn't break over the issue of raises. Times are rough for everyone right now. That is life. Suck it up like everyone else.

eta: OP, I hope everything turns out for you! It just stinks that something like this can throw off plans! :sad2:

[taximomfor4]

My opinion is that this is not how professionals behave. They whine about the lack of respect, and then pull crap like this. This is not the way to gain support from anyone, except possible the kids, who are usually fed a bunch of BS/union propaganda before the strike.

My heart just doesn't break over the issue of raises. Times are rough for everyone right now. That is life. Suck it up like everyone else.

eta: OP, I hope everything turns out for you! It just stinks that something like this can throw off plans! :sad2:


I don't know anyone else personally who has taken pay freezes/pay cuts every year for 4 straight years. Perhaps there are others out there, but not anyone I know.

[taximomfor4]

My opinion is that this is not how professionals behave. They whine about the lack of respect, and then pull crap like this. This is not the way to gain support from anyone, except possible the kids, who are usually fed a bunch of BS/union propaganda before the strike.

My heart just doesn't break over the issue of raises. Times are rough for everyone right now. That is life. Suck it up like everyone else.

eta: OP, I hope everything turns out for you! It just stinks that something like this can throw off plans! :sad2:


NOT saying I think strikes are the way to go. I just don't know how a teacher whose school votes to strike would refuse. I am not the most knowledgeable about this, but it DOES go to a vote and the majority does rule. DH's fellow teachers have voted down a strike 2 yrs in a row now, and accepted the pay cuts/freezes instead. But at some point that is no longer the best option. I don't know what is.

[noodleknitter]

I don't know anyone else personally who has taken pay freezes/pay cuts every year for 4 straight years. Perhaps there are others out there, but not anyone I know.

My husband works for OU. They have been under a pay freeze for 2 years. Northern Ohio must be doing one heck of a lot better than the southeastern quarter. Pay freezes and lay-offs are the order of the day. Folks are thankful to have jobs. period.

Just saw your second post. I know that it is almost impossible to buck the unions, and strikes. I think it is a no win situation for so many.

[momof2inPA]

My opinion is that this is not how professionals behave. They whine about the lack of respect, and then pull crap like this. This is not the way to gain support from anyone, except possible the kids, who are usually fed a bunch of BS/union propaganda before the strike.

If more "professionals" would come together to fight for their jobs and benefits, maybe times wouldn't be so tough. Professional or blue collar, every worker has value and similar concerns. I would support the teachers, and I would never allow my kids to cross a picket.

I feel for the OP, but to direct his or her frustration at the teachers while holding the administration blameless is only considering one side of issue. I hope the teachers' compensation issues are fairly considered and that both sides are forced to sit down together to work out the situation.

[dzorn]

I don't know anyone else personally who has taken pay freezes/pay cuts every year for 4 straight years. Perhaps there are others out there, but not anyone I know.

DH has not gotten a rise in 3 years and he works salary for major auto manufacture.

Denise in MI

[pigletz]

I can only respond with my experiences as a teacher who has been on strike. We went on strike for two weeks five years ago. It was not about money. We knew that the district did not have the money to give us raises. Our strike was about getting a better education for the students in our classrooms. Our board proposed some pretty wacky things such as removing the language in the contract that states that it is the boards responsibility to maintain the buildings. I thought that was their job. :confused3 Here are some of the things we won:
The right to be notified if a violent offender was being put in our rooms. We get a lot of students who have been expelled from other schools for weapons violations or assaulting teachers. I need to know if that is the case when a new student comes into my room in order to protect my students and myself.
Lowered class sizes for classes with special equiptment (computer labs, science labs, vocational programs etc.) In some cases there were classes of 60 in a computer lab and only 20 computers

Right now we have been without a contract for two years and our pay has been frozen the entire time. Again we are not asking for a raise. The board refuses to meet with the negotiation team and again has a ridiculous proposal that includes not maintaining the schools, eliminating all district support for discipline, and taking away their resposibility for classroom supplies like textbooks.

I wish that teacher's wouldn't have to strike. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that this is easy on us either. Most of us just want to get back to our jobs and do what we're paid to do. Striking is a last resort. Why else would we choose to go without pay for an indefinite amount of time. As for going somewhere else, I could. I could leave and work in another district or find a different career. I choose not too because I love my students and the teachers in my district. I would hate to see what would happen if all of the veteren teachers left my district and replaced us with first year teachers which they would love to do anyways (they're cheaper).

[Marty Moose]

My son has been a part of the state school system for a whopping 5 weeks now...so I really have no experience to draw opinions from.

I do have a question though, and this may seem obvious, but how exactly does this affect your vacations? Is just that you personally are concerned about him missing too much time? Or will the school district not allow those vacation days on top of the "strike" days?

If it's the latter...I would be furious! I don't want to get into the debate, but I would feel like as a tax-payer (especially with the outrageous taxes here in NJ!) I was paying for a service I wasn't receiving. And while I'm certainly flexible enough and compassionate enough to understand that certain situations do occur, to turn around and be penalized for the days we choose to take off (because they took them off for us!!) would seriously tick me off!

I just don't understand these schools that have no problem throwing an "in-service" day in the schedule once a month...but then balk when parents decide to take kids out for a few days for personal reasons?

Just my 2 cents...

[declansdad]

Oh goody, another let's bash teachers for standing up for their rights thread.


1. The whole point of any strike to to inconvenience people so they apply pressure to settle the strike.

2. Show me a union that doesn't protect incompetent workers and I will show a weak union.

3. Not all strikes are about money. That is just the topic that gets the most play in the media.

4. A good union would always threaten strike action at a time when it will cause the most headaches for the employer. For teachers, that isn't in the summer month.

5. There is no point in comparing one profession to another and arguing about how hard each works. You are comparing apples to oranges.

[taximomfor4]

My son has been a part of the state school system for a whopping 5 weeks now...so I really have no experience to draw opinions from.

I do have a question though, and this may seem obvious, but how exactly does this affect your vacations? Is just that you personally are concerned about him missing too much time? Or will the school district not allow those vacation days on top of the "strike" days?

If it's the latter...I would be furious! I don't want to get into the debate, but I would feel like as a tax-payer (especially with the outrageous taxes here in NJ!) I was paying for a service I wasn't receiving. And while I'm certainly flexible enough and compassionate enough to understand that certain situations do occur, to turn around and be penalized for the days we choose to take off (because they took them off for us!!) would seriously tick me off!

I just don't understand these schools that have no problem throwing an "in-service" day in the schedule once a month...but then balk when parents decide to take kids out for a few days for personal reasons?

Just my 2 cents...

At least around here, the in-service days are not counted in the 180 instructional days the students attend. The students go to the school 180 days...the teachers do too, but also go in for in-service days.

When our school went on strike when I was a kid, the days we missed didn't count against us. I think the school KNEW that wouldn't fly. I mean, we were listed as ABSENTS on our report cards, but didn't count in the maximum absences allowed (truancy laws or whatever they are called).

[momto2girls]

:thumbsup2 If someone wants to be considered a professional then they should act like one. Striking is not professional.

If teachers want respect, then they need to bag the unions, and that lovely organization, the NEA.

ITA!!

[noodleknitter]

If more "professionals" would come together to fight for their jobs and benefits, maybe times wouldn't be so tough. Professional or blue collar, every worker has value and similar concerns. I would support the teachers, and I would never allow my kids to cross a picket.

That would work if there were an unending supply of money...but ther isn't, and if there were, it would be called inflation.

Maybe what really needs to happen is that people need to learn to live within their means and be happy with the blessing they have. :) A job, food on the table, a roof over our heads. It's more than much of the world has.

[JPN4265]

Sorry but unless your in upper mangement No-ones pay has kept up with inflation.

Teacher are civil servents and SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STRIKE. If they don't like the pay then leave and let someone else do the job.

I understand it's a tough job but so is everyone elses.


Should this not be for everyone. If you don't like your job or the pay you have the right to leave...No one is forcing you to work at that job. We all have choices, I don't care what your job, teacher, nurse, etc. popcorn::

[barkley]

retired civil servant here.

not all civil servants are precluded from striking-generaly those in safety postions (fire, police, child protective services) cannot stike. those in other classifications that are unionized can (i was in one of the very rare managment classifications that banded together and formed a union for our member's protection-largly protection against hostile/violent employees).

i can't speak for teachers (have'nt been one in years and never went through bad negotiations)-but on the occasions i was subjected to a strike vote or a one day walk out vote in social services it was generaly the LAST thing any of the members wanted to do. and generaly it was not an issue of wanting more pay or better benefits, it was a matter of preventing take aways of pay/benefits-or more importantly protections in working conditions that if enacted endangered the employees and the people they served.

most service employees (and teachers fall under this category) may work under state or local laws that have mandated levels of the number of people they can serve (teach or oversee life sustaining service cases for) but most government/district employers have a loop hole that allows them to ignore those caps during 'times of need'. the agency/district determines the time of need-and they can create these by not backfilling vacant positions or hiring totaly inexperienced temp. staff with 'emergency lic/credentials' that preclude them from carrying a full class/caseload (but allows the employer to pay them substantialy less and no benefits or protections). so while a parent complaining that their child is in a class of 35 or 40 when the state mandates a cap of 25 is told by administration it's 'only temporary'-the teacher and union may know that temporary has been on-going for several years and it's just being shifted from teacher to teacher, school to school to ensure it's not highly apparant (or in social services when a tragic situation involving a child hits the media and it's found that the caseworker had double or triple the state/federal cap for a caseload-the agency always says it was a temporary/unusual circumstance-not that it's been the norm for several years-and they've been slammed by the feds on multiple occasions for it).

striking is no picnic for anyone in the service sector-the work is still there when you get back (no insult to subs-it's just not the same teaching environment and there's a ton of catch up work the perm. teacher goes back to), and for the most part dedicated service people do not want their cleints/students to get sub-par or no services. compound this with the loss of income and benefits (if a union has a strike fund it does'nt kick in until most strikes are long over and then it's pennies on the dollars, and strikers do not qualify for public assistance, food stamps or government medical assistance-so a striker who goes without the med benefits when they are out and has a family member who becomes sick or injured is s.o.l.) and most times despite any modest raise a returning strike may see it rarely covers their financial and emotional losses.

but the biggest losers are the clients and the students. both get the short end of the stick. they NEVER recoup what they've lost.

i don't know that theres any way to solve the problem of negotiations-the union i worked under tried implementing initial contract talks a full year ahead of contracts expiring in the hopes of getting minor issues off the table so when push came to shove on the big issues there was plenty of time to discuss it. several contracts later they found that the labor tactic of stalling until a contract was about to end came into play no matter how far ahead you started talking. last i heard my former co-workers were 2 years beyond the end of their contract with no end in sight (and petrified by the substandard service delivery their clients were getting from a massive influx of unskilled/untrained temporary employees management had brought in). the only thing i can think might help is if there was some sort of legislation that called for an impartial arbitrator to handle these negotiations if they are not settled within a defined period of time-there have been a couple of gov. agencies that have had that done in recent years. neither labor nor managment was thrilled with the outcome but at least it ensured that the students/public was served.

[taximomfor4]

Barkley,
well-worded and informative post. Just wanted to say that!

Beth

[barkley]

Barkley,
well-worded and informative post. Just wanted to say that!

Beth

thanks-i've had several incredible co-workers who have opted for early retirement because they've gotten so sick over being caught in the middle of these situations (they realy want to help people and get realy upset when they hear students or clients refererred to as numbers-even sicker when they KNOW they are short serving them).

[taximomfor4]

thanks-i've had several incredible co-workers who have opted for early retirement because they've gotten so sick over being caught in the middle of these situations (they realy want to help people and get realy upset when they hear students or clients refererred to as numbers-even sicker when they KNOW they are short serving them).


I completely understand. I am watching my DH burn out, but still drive himself (and his students) harder. I don't understand the "Golden Apple" thing -- might be just his school. But yesterday they had an assembly to award a "Golden Apple." He was completely SHOCKED when he figured out in the first sentence of the description of "this year's teacher" -- it was him. He knew in the first sentence because they said this year's teacher " graduated from this very school." Its a BIG, heavy, engraved golden apple. Don't really know what it means, but I KNOW he deserved to win.

Sorry to ramble OT, OP! I hope this all works out for you, wether the teachers strike or don't strike.

[The Disney Bunch]

Teachers should not be able to strike - That is my opinion. Not for nothing but the teachers in our area make very good money. Starting salaries for teachers are more than what I am making. My SIL makes $90,000 after 10 years. Not bad- plus she gets the holidays and vacation time. I wish I had that in my job. Why do we allow certain professiona the ability to strike & not others? As for keeping up with inflation - I haven't gotten a raise in 3 years & my dh got a 3% raise this past year - Definitley not keeping up with inflation!

[Aliisa]

Teachers should not be able to strike - That is my opinion. Not for nothing but the teachers in our area make very good money. Starting salaries for teachers are more than what I am making. My SIL makes $90,000 after 10 years. Not bad- plus she gets the holidays and vacation time. I wish I had that in my job. Why do we allow certain professiona the ability to strike & not others? As for keeping up with inflation - I haven't gotten a raise in 3 years & my dh got a 3% raise this past year - Definitley not keeping up with inflation!

I'm not sure where your SIL works but $90,000 a year is not the norm!! The average teacher in 2005 was making $46,752. IMO teachers have one the most important jobs in this country. They are taking care of our kids and teaching our future and we can never pay them enough for that.
My DD started kindegarten this year. I know so many familes that are paying to send their kids to private school for all day kindergarten because the daycare after half day kindergarten was more than private school!! Isn't that strange that we spend more on day care than education??
On that note I think I'll head over to the Budget Board, its so much more laid back over there LOL!!

[tinkernelllec]

Hi all.

I didn't really want to turn this post into a fighting match, I was, and still am, angry, that my DS education is put on hold. (And it affects my vacations!!)

I live in a rural area in PA, and my school district is one of the lowest income districts in the area. I read an article in the paper that said the median income in the area was 20,000. The article also stated the salaries of the teachers that ranged from 24,000 to 65,000 and that 65% made top salary. The school board proposed a 1500 pay raise a year for 5 years and that isn't good enough!!!!! Now I know someone wrote not to compare professions, but I'm sorry, but I have a 4 year degree (I am a RN) and my DH is an RN with a 4 year degree and have been nurses for 12 years (so you would think we would be a top range of salary, right?) and neither one of us make that much. About 18,000 less than that!! Neither of us have gotten a 1500 pay raise in one year, let alone for 5 consecutive years, believe me. In fact, my DH took a paycut to stay at his job because unfortunately he actually liked his nursing job. And I know many nurses who HATE nursing, so for him to like his job was worth the paycut, and the hospital I work for is a rural hospital that doesn't have the money to pay the top salaries like big hospitals. I stay there because I don't want to drive into Pittsburgh which is an hour from my house (and pay the gas, parking, etc, just to make a few dollars more an hour) Health care systems get their money from insurance companies and medicare, and they just don't pay what the expenses are anymore. It's awful.

Anyway, this strike is about money, it stated that in the paper, not about anything else. Now, I am not saying that teachers don't deserve a fair salary. What I was saying is, I don't believe it is necessary to affect the 1300 kids that go to the school because they want more money. These kids are going to miss out on a thanksgiving/christmas/easter and most of June vacations. They are disrupted in their studies when they have just gotten into the grove of things. I would be upset with the strike if I weren't planning a vacation.

To someone who posted whether I am worried about my DS missing too many days of school, yes, I am, because he wouldn't be missing as many if they had their thanksgiving break like they are supposed to. They are very strict on how many days they can miss. Only 5 for vacation. If I were to take him out for this November one for 5 days and then in June for a vacation that was supposed to be after school was out, then he would be missing a total of 10 days, and who wants to take their kid out of school the last or 2nd to last week of school when they are having finals.

[noodleknitter]

Can you withdraw him from school before that second vacation (in June) and re-admit next year? Or would that cause too many other issues?

BTW...it's your thread...you can say whatever you want, as long as it is within board guidelines!! :teeth:

[D,L and K's Mom]

I am a teacher at a Catholic School. I do not make a huge salary but I choose to stay where I am because I love my school. DH is also a teacher but he teaches at the Public H.S. He also does not make a huge salary. He is part of the Union. He has no choice. Just make sure you are not taking your anger out on all the teachers. Some of them have no choice but to go along with the Union.
I just also want to add that yes, we get out of school at 3:00 but I take home work with me EVERY night. I may get out of school at 3:00 but I don't leave the building until much much later. I work on the weekends, I work nights and I work duing the summers. I am not complaining I love my job and yes, I chose it. But please don't think your children's teachers are done at 3:00. I spend hours and hours making centers, lesson plans, filling out info for IEPs etc. I call parents to tell them how great thier children are doing. I call parents to tell them what we need to do to make their child do better. I take workshops and classes so I can be a better teacher. I schedule field trips, conferences, etc. I do this all after 3:00.I love my job but it does not end at 3:00. Just had to add this.

[seashoreCM]

If school is closed due to a storm or a strike, sit your kids down to do studies for the day. Estimate what lessons will be done and have your kids work on that material.

If you already scheduled your Disney vacation and later the school schedules a make up day on the same dates, go through all of the required motions for making the absence non-unexcuxed but on Disney departure day pull the kids from school anyway.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

[pigletz]

I'm confused. Did the school say that they were canceling breaks and extending the school year to make up for the strike? When we went on strike there were no make up days. They didn't cancel any breaks and the school year wasn't extended. The only thing they did do was offer free after school and Saturday tutoring once the strike was over. The kids didn't have to go but could if they wanted to.

A couple other things.

1. Salaries can be deceptive. I know you mentioned that 65% were making top salaries. How long have those teachers been teaching? We have a lot of teachers in our district that are nearing retirement. They've been here 25+ years and many have been teaching for close to 40. If someone were to look at the average salary for teachers in our district they would probably think it was high. All of those teachers will retire in a few years and we'll have a lot of younger teachers. The average salary will go way down.

2. What you read in the newspaper is not always the whole truth. Our newspapers reported that we were going on strike because of pay. While it was an issue, it certainly wasn't the main one. We settled for 1% for the first year and 0 for the next two.

3. Unless they've already gone on strike, you probably have nothing to worry about. The news starts reporting it as soon as there has been a strike meeting. I know we had at least ten meetings debating whether we wanted to strike or not before we actually voted. Of course the news reported from the first one that we were going on strike. Also, many contracts are settled after the union votes to go on strike but before the actual strike begins. I know we voted on a Friday and then spent the weekend praying that the union and district could work it out over the weekend.

[Lorikr65]

My DH is a police officer. He cannot strike. They have been working without a contract for almost 1 1/2 years. Negotiations are going into arbitration because the Town Administrator is just playing games with them. They had 12 items that were pending, 1 being biweekly paychecks. She decided to implement that and not the other 11 because that was convenient for her. What is the union to do?? They can't strike. The union now has 3 unfair labor practices filed against her.

Yes, teachers have an important job - but don't others too? Aren't policemen and firefighters' jobs important to our children also?? Just be glad you can strike and don't have to accept what is thrown at you by an inexperienced and vindictive person (our Town Administrator!!).