teachers possibly striking

[Tink888]

Teachers are allowed to strike in our state, and they did in our district a few years ago. The nice thing was they waited until the end of May to do it, so academically the kids were pretty much wrapping everything up. It was still an inconvenience to parents and the kids had to go to school until the end of June.

There was also school construction going on at the time of the strike so all of those construction employees who were in union could not cross the teachers pickets line. As a rule any union does not cross the picket line of another union.

I do not think teachers should be allowed to strike. First, it hurts the students the most and secondly when teachers strike - they are using the labor union's right to strike, yet by doing so they give up absolutely nothing - teachers in our state have to work X amount of days, they are paid for those days. After a district strikes X amount of days, the state will force them back to work so that the kids can get their mandatory days in. So, the teachers strike as bargaining power yet they give nothing up to do so as far as pay.

My DH went through a strike years ago (not a teacher). When his union decided to and went on strike, they DID NOT receive a pay check from their employer. Union strike benefits do not kick in until you have striked a certain amount of time and even when they do, it's a huge decrease from the normal pay. BY DECIDING TO STRIKE THE WORKERS GAVE UP MONEY AND TOOK THE RISK OF LOSING THEIR JOBS ALTOGETHER because they believed they deserved better wages and benefits. Teacher unions that strike do not give up pay and there is no risk to them of losing their job. There is no risk to them whatsoever to choose to strike. I'm sorry but I have a problem with that.

Our teachers did receive a small cost of living increase and they pay a whopping 25.00 per month toward their health insurance. In our state there is a website where you can see what every teacher in the state gets paid.

JMO and I have much respect for teachers - they work very hard and are rarely thanked - but I believe (in our state anyway) that our teachers are compensated more than fairly for the hours they put in and the work that they do. I hope that our state will make it illegal for teachers to strike in our state.

 

[okeydokey]

I think a strike really hurts how teachers look in the long run. Parents get pretty riled up. At least teachers are getting raises each year in our area which is more than state employees are getting.

 

[tazdev3225]

I agree that teachers are professionals but I also agree that they should not be allowed to strike. Many years ago when I was in HS the teachers went on strike in Sept. and agreed to go back to work within 2 weeks. They went on strike again in Jan. and it lasted close to a month. I had a teacher who met with students that didn't want the strike to effect them. When she got threatened we met at my house. Eventually we had to stop because her fellow teachers threatened her life if she continued. She quit the profession at the end of the year and I lost a lot of the respect that I had for them. 35 years later it has not changed. They have to go a long way to earn respect from me.

 

[emer95]

I am also a teacher, and I agree that teachers should not strike. Apparently 30 years ago or so there was a strike in my district. It was horrendous and people still talk about it as if they are haunted by it.

OP- I sincerely wish you the best and hope it doesn't happen!

 

[love3monsters]

I was one of those teachers who worked to the contract. Teachers work above and beyond their contract daily. Weekends, evenings, summer vacations -ack!, my family helps and gives up their time and it is a worthy way to demonstrate how much we do extra. I have no clue what the other teachers are threatening to strike over, but we had extremely valid points - and it was NOT money. The value of what we do cannot be compensated, but taking things from MY family to give, and give and give is not ok. We are there by choice and have the right to strike - hope I never have to - to demand we be treated fairly.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

A few years ago, our teachers 'worked the contract' which means they did ONLY what their contract required. The impact was impressive. They got what they wanted and they did it by coming to work. They walked in the bldgs as a group and walked out that way at the very moment requried. As a union member, I support their right to strike but I gotta say, this method was really effective.

First off OP, is there somewhere in the teacher's contract that says we need to take a vow of poverty? We have familiies and we have bills just like everyone else. If you think the teachers are asking for too much how about going back, getting a masters, working for less then most college kids do first year out of college and working way, way more time than you are paid for. Oh and add to it the fact that you need to pay for a ton of courses every 5 years so you can pay to be recertified! I could go on but I won't . Maybe the teachers want more so they can reach half of the pay scale of other professionals with the same amount of schooling. The guy who INSPECTS the garbage to be sure we are recycling in my city makes more than a teacher with 5 years experience.

 

[okeydokey]

Nobody is asking teachers to take a vow of poverty. Teachers in my area are fairly compensated. But there are budget cuts all around and nobody should expect a raise every year. State employees in FL have received one cost of living increase in the last 4 years. And yes, many jobs for the state require a masters and make far far less than in private industry.

 

[tasha99]

I know there are teachers who are underpaid because they work in more dangerous, urban environments or in poor rural districts. However, in my area, teaching is a fabulous job for fabulous pay and benefits. I still know teachers who think they are underpaid because they have an advanced degree and have to take work home. Welcome to the real world--professionals in the private sector have to do that all the time! It is true that there are some jobs that just pay a lot for some reason or another, but that's how a free market works. If they could fill those jobs for less pay, they would. I'd guess garbage collection has a high "yuck factor."

 

[JoyG]

Striking by teachers is illegal in my state, but my district went on strike anyway about 8 years ago. I was a new teacher then and I don't really know what the union had been through that preceeded the strike. I do know that teachers lost 2 days of pay for every one day they were on strike.

By the grace of God, I was on maternity leave during the strike so I didn't lose any pay. I do know that if we went on strike again, there would be no option for me to cross the picket line. The retribution from other union members would be unbareable. I can't just quit and find another job, so I'd have to go along with it.

I hope I doesn't come up again during my career. But we've been without a contract for 4 years, had our wages frozen for 3 (against our contract), things have been pretty bad in this district.

 

[MDTerrapin]

I disagree with the satement "Professionals do not strike". I am a professional and many people in my profession have had to strike in the past. I am thankful that they did and you should be also. If not for them I might be forced to work mandatory overtime and care for more than 6 patients at a time (which could be very unsafe). Sometimes striking is very necessary and it is always used as a last resort.

Karen

 

[java]

I am a teacher/public school administrator and I'm not going to flame. IMO, it is NEVER reasonable for teachers to strike. In the state where I work (SC), it is ILLEGAL. I may get flamed for saying this, but teachers should think of the students they teach and be thankful to have a JOB in this economy. I've gone through many years when then economy was "good" with absolutely no pay raise. I would have never thought of striking when there were children in need of teachers. To me, it is unethical and in our society with our labor laws, it can be done without striking.

Our teacher's did this last year. And quite frankly the parents stepped up and the kids still had a great year. We were not going to let a fight over a $10 healthcare copay impact the school year of our children.
Personally I think there are plenty of teachers in our district that are underpaid but just as many that are overpaid. The "community" would support reasonable request by teachers. What is reasonable is what is being disputed.

 

[HerdOHuds]

First off OP, is there somewhere in the teacher's contract that says we need to take a vow of poverty? We have familiies and we have bills just like everyone else. If you think the teachers are asking for too much how about going back, getting a masters, working for less then most college kids do first year out of college and working way, way more time than you are paid for. Oh and add to it the fact that you need to pay for a ton of courses every 5 years so you can pay to be recertified! I could go on but I won't . Maybe the teachers want more so they can reach half of the pay scale of other professionals with the same amount of schooling. The guy who INSPECTS the garbage to be sure we are recycling in my city makes more than a teacher with 5 years experience.

I am with you Bella! And I know from reading that I am in a minority.

We were close to striking a few years ago and it scared the bejeezus out of me! But if that is what the union thought it needed to do to get the job done, then I was there. Our union and administration had a very healthy respect for each other. It created a check and balance system that usually worked and we had an excellent school district with mostly excellent teachers as a result.

Unions have a place in my state and they usually do their job well. Not always, but usually. Just like anything else, the whole system can be abused and there are plenty of examples either way.

I know where we live now-and I don't teach now-that the district can, two weeks before school gets out, with no warning or chance to dispute, relocate a teacher to a completely different job. Just because they 'need' to. You are teaching 3rd grade, but SURPRISE next year you will be teaching Jr. High music. (real example) That is just wrong and a situation where a strong union would have stopped it from happening.

 

[gaelic grace]

Years ago 8 or 9 I think teacher's in our state were organizing to strike. The reasons were solid and they were in the process of collecting guarantees from teachers that they would strike. My husband was one of a few who didn't sign- and believe me he caught heck for it from alot of people. His rational was that he signed a contract every May to work for a certain amount of money. He knew when he signed it what it was for and he made an agreement to work for that. He suggested that they not sign contracts during the renewal period instead but that idea didn't go very far.
One year for a totally different reason than pay he didn't sign his contract. He didn't like a clause in it so he didn't sign it. He explained to his principal ahead of time his issues. The District office wouldn't make the change so he didn't sign. The day after contracts were due they called to find out why. He told them they knew why and he had explained it. They re-wrote his contract. The superintendent later told him that she had never had anyone handle it in that way and she respected him handling it like a professional. Now that he is an administrator he gives much more weight to people who handle things in a calm, reasoned manner. I agree 100% that teachers deserve more money. Unless you have taught you can't appreciate how hard it is. Another thing my husband did as a teacher and now as an administrator is bring alot of people from other fields into classrooms to give students real world applications. It never fails that they always comment on how much harder it is than they think. It's a good lesson in that knowing something doesn't mean you can teach it to someone else. We also have to realize that though teachers are often not paid as well as their professional counterparts that many people are not in professional fields and see teacher salaries and benefits as desirable. It's not a fair comparison but most people see things through their own experiences.

 

[Michelle67]

Ugh, I hope they don't do it. I'm not going to flame you. I think teachers should make a lot more money, but in the meantime the kids are the most hurt by a strike, and I hate to see that happen. I don't know about other school districts, but ours is extremely top heavy. I'd like to see some redundant/un-necessary administrative jobs go away and the teachers get to divvy up that budget money in the form of nice raises.

 

[smidgy]

I was one of those teachers who worked to the contract. Teachers work above and beyond their contract daily. Weekends, evenings, summer vacations -ack!, my family helps and gives up their time and it is a worthy way to demonstrate how much we do extra. I have no clue what the other teachers are threatening to strike over, but we had extremely valid points - and it was NOT money. The value of what we do cannot be compensated, but taking things from MY family to give, and give and give is not ok. We are there by choice and have the right to strike - hope I never have to - to demand we be treated fairly.

we ALL want to be treated fairly. many of us give "above and beyond" in our chosen jobs/profession. and most of us feel VALUE in our professions. and STILL lost, first our pay (in the form of pay cuts), secondly, our benefits, and lastly , our jobs. No, it's NOT right. but in this economy, when my taxes continue to rise, be it yet ANOTHER referundum, or just an increase in the assessment of our property? , but I can't sell my house for enough to make a new start elsewhere, I have very little empathy for professionals getting a RAISE, and an INCREASE in their benefit contribution, and think it is not enough.

Pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers--not professionals??

I believe President Reagan fired the air traffic controllers for striking. I knew one man in my church who didn't strike (for ethical reasons). He retained his job.

I would have to know what their raise was and what their new contributions were. My last year teaching we were offered a 1 % raise spread out over 2 years. It worked out to be a couple bucks/week--oh boy that was going to go far.

sorry, I don't have the info in front of me, but it was a LOT more than that! like 5% the first year and then adjustments to inflation after that. and they wanted it across the board, whether or not they continued their education.

by the way... what is so terrible about paying for your own continuing education? to increase, not only your knowledge, but your salary? It's the same in any other profession. many teachers say they don't have the summers off because they take classes. yes, they do so, and thereby, by contract, increase their salary. I know a few teachers who took classes up till the point where the salary would no longer increase. then they said "no reason to take anymore, that's as high as my salary will be upped for classes"

my point was not only about striking, but everytime a referendum comes around, we are told to "sacrifice". for the kids..... but many are losing their jobs, benefits, and HOMES! and even though I keep voting "yes" it irks me that a certain profession DEMANDS raises and more benefits when we are losing ours. I still think a lousy 1% raise is better than a pay CUT. or a total LOSS of pay, which many taxpayers are realizing right now.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I like the idea of working only the contract, but I odn't like the idea of a strike. Ours is a profession in which the strike adversely affects the entire public.

EXACTLY! I've always felt the same way. I think that teachers who strike don't deserve to be teachers. I'm sure I'll get flamed for that, but it's JMO. The kids deserve better. I think that teachers don't have nearly as bad as some make it out to be. My stepmom, aunt and SIL are teachers and they seem pretty happy to me. Summers off, holidays off, weekends off, state benefits, decent pay..yeah, crappy job there. Sorry...I just get tired of the woe-is-me-attitude of some teachers.

I'm sorry, but I just despise attitudes like this. I am in a Master's of ARts of teaching program and am currently teaching half days unpaid for my degree. I've spent this whole summer getting ready for my classroom and seeing everything my mentor teacher does. Maybe we are not in school on breaks (but then maybe we are, you'd be surprised how many teachers teach summer school), but we are still doing work. I was helping her prepare the classroom long before the first contract date. We are both there before the contract requires and she leaves after the contract requires.

On holidays, there are still teachers there getting things prepared for the next day. I'm not trying to make it sound like "woe is me" but I am trying to point out that the public just doesn't understand how much work goes on behind the scenes. At the moment I have a stack of books sitting on my couch so that I can plan lessons on how to teach parts of speech to seventh graders (special ed.)

My mentor teacher does a lot that the parents will never see. She taught summer school, so pretty much no vacation there. She is the head of the Professional Development Committee. She is the head of the MNEA (teacher professional organization) in our district. She is the "go to" person in the building for special ed. She is many things to many people, and while there is a modest pay increase for this, her two children qualify for free and reduced lunch. When teachers' kids qualify for free and reduced lunch, that is a problem for me.

I don't try to knock other people's chosen professions or downplay the work they put in without knowing what goes on behind the scenes, I wish people would extend us the same courtesy.

 

[smidgy]

I like the idea of working only the contract, but I odn't like the idea of a strike. Ours is a profession in which the strike adversely affects the entire public.



I'm sorry, but I just despise attitudes like this. I am in a Master's of ARts of teaching program and am currently teaching half days unpaid for my degree. I've spent this whole summer getting ready for my classroom and seeing everything my mentor teacher does. Maybe we are not in school on breaks (but then maybe we are, you'd be surprised how many teachers teach summer school), but we are still doing work. I was helping her prepare the classroom long before the first contract date. We are both there before the contract requires and she leaves after the contract requires.

On holidays, there are still teachers there getting things prepared for the next day. I'm not trying to make it sound like "woe is me" but I am trying to point out that the public just doesn't understand how much work goes on behind the scenes. At the moment I have a stack of books sitting on my couch so that I can plan lessons on how to teach parts of speech to seventh graders (special ed.)

My mentor teacher does a lot that the parents will never see. She taught summer school, so pretty much no vacation there. She is the head of the Professional Development Committee. She is the head of the MNEA (teacher professional organization) in our district. She is the "go to" person in the building for special ed. She is many things to many people, and while there is a modest pay increase for this, her two children qualify for free and reduced lunch. When teachers' kids qualify for free and reduced lunch, that is a problem for me.

I don't try to knock other people's chosen professions or downplay the work they put in without knowing what goes on behind the scenes, I wish people would extend us the same courtesy.

you are teaching half days, UNPAID, because that is part of the education you are enrolled in. It's called "student teaching". and when you finish your course, your pay scale will rise.

and many people in "salary" positions (not paid by the hour) work hard "outside" of "scheduled" time to do better at their jobs. my son is a project manager for a major corporation. before his promotion, he was paid hourly. with his promotion, (and "raise") he works MANY more hours than he used to. my dad had a salary position with a company and brought work home almost every night. you agree to a salalry, and you work however many hours to do a good job.
teachers that work summer school are paid EXTRA to do so. you made it sound like a volunteer position. you want to coach? extra time, extra money.
I did NOT downplay the work anyone does, and I DO know what goes on "behind the scenes". no one is putting down the profession. It is a wonderful calling. God bless teachers. just saying, we're all caught in this economic crunch,.
we are all important. we all have families to feed and mortgages to pay. we all have health needs. many of us taxpayers are not getting those needs met ATALL. so we have LITTLE sympathy for a union turning DOWN INCREASES in both the areas of pay and benefits. NOT CUTS (like the rest of us)... NOT EVEN staying the same!!! INCREASES!! and that's not good enough.

 

[tasha99]

you are teaching half days, UNPAID, because that is part of the education you are enrolled in. It's called "student teaching". and when you finish your course, your pay scale will rise.

and many people in "salary" positions (not paid by the hour) work hard "outside" of "scheduled" time to do better at their jobs. my son is a project manager for a major corporation. before his promotion, he was paid hourly. with his promotion, (and "raise") he works MANY more hours than he used to. my dad had a salary position with a company and brought work home almost every night. you agree to a salalry, and you work however many hours to do a good job.
teachers that work summer school are paid EXTRA to do so. you made it sound like a volunteer position. you want to coach? extra time, extra money.
I did NOT downplay the work anyone does, and I DO know what goes on "behind the scenes". no one is putting down the profession. It is a wonderful calling. God bless teachers. just saying, we're all caught in this economic crunch,.
we are all important. we all have families to feed and mortgages to pay. we all have health needs. many of us taxpayers are not getting those needs met ATALL. so we have LITTLE sympathy for a union turning DOWN INCREASES in both the areas of pay and benefits. NOT CUTS (like the rest of us)... NOT EVEN staying the same!!! INCREASES!! and that's not good enough.

I agree with you. I'm a teacher's daughter, so I know what a fantastic deal it can be. I think teachers do great work, and I appreciate their efforts; I also think the teachers in my area are well paid.

The thing about a non-teaching professional job, is that many are 50 hours a week, 50 weeks a year with mediocre benefits. Teaching is a great job with a huge perk of extra time off. Teachers who want more money than time could move to a private sector job, but only the math/science teachers as a whole will be making more money, and even then only if they continue their education.

Anyhow, I do agree that working the contract is preferable to striking. I remember a teachers strike from my childhood. It didn't affect me much since I was in junior high, but I think a strike could be really bad for seniors in high school.

 

[golfgal]

we ALL want to be treated fairly. many of us give "above and beyond" in our chosen jobs/profession. and most of us feel VALUE in our professions. and STILL lost, first our pay (in the form of pay cuts), secondly, our benefits, and lastly , our jobs. No, it's NOT right. but in this economy, when my taxes continue to rise, be it yet ANOTHER referundum, or just an increase in the assessment of our property? , but I can't sell my house for enough to make a new start elsewhere, I have very little empathy for professionals getting a RAISE, and an INCREASE in their benefit contribution, and think it is not enough.


sorry, I don't have the info in front of me, but it was a LOT more than that! like 5% the first year and then adjustments to inflation after that. and they wanted it across the board, whether or not they continued their education.

by the way... what is so terrible about paying for your own continuing education? to increase, not only your knowledge, but your salary? It's the same in any other profession. many teachers say they don't have the summers off because they take classes. yes, they do so, and thereby, by contract, increase their salary. I know a few teachers who took classes up till the point where the salary would no longer increase. then they said "no reason to take anymore, that's as high as my salary will be upped for classes"

my point was not only about striking, but everytime a referendum comes around, we are told to "sacrifice". for the kids..... but many are losing their jobs, benefits, and HOMES! and even though I keep voting "yes" it irks me that a certain profession DEMANDS raises and more benefits when we are losing ours. I still think a lousy 1% raise is better than a pay CUT. or a total LOSS of pay, which many taxpayers are realizing right now.

You obviously don't understand how the pay thing works. I have to take CE classes for my current job, they cost or $50 MAX and it is reimbursed by my employer. Teachers have to take COLLEGE level course costing several THOUSAND dollars. Often their course work costs more then any raise they get. In MN at least you have to continue taking CE courses through your entire career or your license won't be renewed. If I want to take a master's program, my employer will reimburse my tuition, as do many, many employers around our area. Basically a teacher has to pay $30,000+ for their master's program out of their own pocket and then continue to pay for CE and other coursework through our their career where I can get the same for free AND get pay increases along the way because of my advanced education. THAT is the difference.

As for taking pay cuts, maybe that is happening in your area but it isn't here. I have NEVER worked in a corporate job, nor do I know of anyone that works in a corporate job that didn't have to opportunity for a raise every year. The only ones that didn't get a raise were the ones that were not doing their job. A 5% raise is basically cost of living increase, not a raise--BIG difference.

 

[golfgal]

you are teaching half days, UNPAID, because that is part of the education you are enrolled in. It's called "student teaching". and when you finish your course, your pay scale will rise.

and many people in "salary" positions (not paid by the hour) work hard "outside" of "scheduled" time to do better at their jobs. my son is a project manager for a major corporation. before his promotion, he was paid hourly. with his promotion, (and "raise") he works MANY more hours than he used to. my dad had a salary position with a company and brought work home almost every night. you agree to a salalry, and you work however many hours to do a good job.
teachers that work summer school are paid EXTRA to do so. you made it sound like a volunteer position. you want to coach? extra time, extra money.
I did NOT downplay the work anyone does, and I DO know what goes on "behind the scenes". no one is putting down the profession. It is a wonderful calling. God bless teachers. just saying, we're all caught in this economic crunch,.
we are all important. we all have families to feed and mortgages to pay. we all have health needs. many of us taxpayers are not getting those needs met ATALL. so we have LITTLE sympathy for a union turning DOWN INCREASES in both the areas of pay and benefits. NOT CUTS (like the rest of us)... NOT EVEN staying the same!!! INCREASES!! and that's not good enough.

Yes, teachers get 'paid' extra to coach and teacher summer school, it is MINIMAL. I figured out one year when I was coaching basketball that I made about 78 cents/hour--WOW. Of course I have to take the old teacher standby-I didn't do it for the money--but it sure would have been nice to be compensated for that. The teachers in our district are paid pretty well compared to the rest of the state but they STILL don't make enough. They could never afford to live in our town on a teacher's salary and that just isn't right. Oh, the summer school teachers make $1000--that is for 6 weeks working from 8-12 each day, just for the class time, not including prep time--my 13 year old made more then that babysitting this summer.