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Many parents and students are worrying schools will not open on time next week. Union leaders are urging teachers to illegally strike for double-digit pay increases. So far, the schools of 148,000 students may be closed by strikes, as about 8,000 teachers have voted to strike in Aberdeen, Battle Ground, Camas, Centralia, Evergreen (Clark), Hockinson, Kent, Longview, Mount Vernon, Ridgefield, Stanwood-Camano, Sultan, Vancouver, Washougal, and Yakima. Fortunately, for the first time in forty years, teachers who object to illegal strikes can now withdraw from the union, and stop paying $1000 a year in dues. See recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Janus, described here.
Districts say these pay demands are unreasonable and unaffordable, and may require diverting class size reduction money.
Many teachers don’t like to go on strike. After all, strikes disrupt the education of children. Strikes force working families to find and pay for child care. Strikes create unnecessary conflict and discord in local communities. Now strikes are being used by WEA union executives to increase the burden of property taxes, a burden falling most heavily on low-income and young families, and on retired people on fixed incomes.
The start of school in Seattle is September 5th. Union executives are urging Seattle teachers to strike. Teachers are voting this afternoon. If they vote to strike, Seattle’s 54,000 students are likely to find their schools are closed next week.
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