Teacher strike ban to be reintroduced

From the BCCT.

Teacher strike ban to be reintroduced
By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times

Get ready for take two in the struggle to eliminate teacher strikes.

Though Strike-Free Education Act House Bill 1369 failed to see any legislative action after he introduced it about two years ago, state Rep. Todd Rock, R-Franklin, said he'll reintroduce it today.

"The key to it is getting it out of committee. It could sit there for years," said Rock.

If passed, the bill would overhaul the negotiation process between a school district and its teachers union and would impose financial penalties for strikes and school lockouts.

"My bill still aims to provide for mediation, fact-finding and arbitration to resolve most contracts. If both sides still can't come to an agreement after certain dates, it forces them to meet four times a month and to have a public forum to lay out both sides of the case every six weeks. By the nature of all these meetings, you'd want to come to an agreement," said Rock, the bill's chief sponsor and author.

A teacher for a decade and a school board member for three years, Rock said he expects opposition to his bill - again - in the Legislature, though he believes most people are enthusiastic about stopping teacher strikes.

"The union is very big, and they have a lot of money and a lot of influence. I'm up against a lot of different factors. But every time a strike happens, I think it's a bigger negative for the teaching profession. They should have another option," said Rock.

Thirty-seven states prohibit teacher strikes.

Statewide, more than 20 school districts are at risk of a strike, according to information on Rock's Web site. More than 60 percent of all teacher strikes since 2000 have occurred in Pennsylvania, even though its teacher salaries are among the top 10 highest in the country.

"This is one of those issues that Rock is saying he's not going to let go. We're going to keep driving it into public awareness until one day it becomes law," said bill supporter and Lower Makefield resident Simon Campbell.

He became a local proponent of stopping teacher strikes after a 21-day strike in 2005 in his children's district, Pennsbury. Campbell said he plans to speak during Rock's press conference today in Harrisburg.

Rep. Paul Clymer, R-145, is a cosponsor of the bill. The geographic areas he represents are near the Souderton School District, where teachers went on strike during a bitter dispute for 13 days in the fall.

"I'm opposed to strikes by public employees at large, because we provide services that are important to our citizens. When you assume a position in the public arena, you do not go on strike. That doesn't mean I'm anti-union," Clymer said.

Passage of the bill wouldn't eliminate contract disputes, said Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-31.

"You can outlaw strikes and still have a labor dispute that festers on for years," said the former Bensalem High School teacher and Pennsylvania State Education Association member.

Both sides should be required by state law to negotiate "around the clock" if an impasse occurs, he said. The two sides should have to submit their last, best offers to a Commonwealth Court judge for a final decision, Santarsiero added.

"I think it's necessary to have the threat of a judge to make a binding decision that could go against one of the parties, he said.

Rock disagrees with that.

"He's talking about binding arbitration. We have nine school board officials elected to make that decision for our community. It should not be made by an outsider to the community," he said.

The issue of whether it's best to make teacher strikes illegal is complicated, said Rep. Frank Farry, R-142, whose legislative district includes the Neshaminy School District.

Neshaminy's teachers union recently rejected a school board offer and is still negotiating its contract.

"If a bill had the proper dispute resolution to ensure that education was uninterrupted, then I think it's something we need to consider. But I still need to take a look at the language in this bill," Farry said.

Among local school districts, Pennsbury's union and school board decided to extend its current labor contract for another year with no cost-of-living increases.