Today a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled that striking teachers in Tumwater must return to work after over a week on the picket line (although he offered no incentive in the form of a penalty for failure to do so).  Not surprisingly, just hours after the ruling the teacher’s union voted to defy the toothless ruling and continue the strike until the Tumwater School District acquiesces to the union’s demands by giving teachers a “fair and reasonable contract.”

Of course, only the contract negotiators know what would constitute a “fair and reasonable” offer since all negotiations are done in secret.  Apparently the 15% the district says it has offered does not satisfy those criteria.

Embattled school officials in Tacoma and Battle Ground are also trying to end teacher strikes. 

The Tacoma School District says it has offered a 12.5% raise this year, while the union says it’s only 7%.  The Battle Ground School District says its latest offer increases teacher salaries nearly 20% over three years but the teacher’s union wants that 20% this year.

It’s hard to know who is being truthful and negotiating in good (or bad) faith since the negotiations are not open to the public. 

Things have become so contentious between school officials and the teacher’s unions that both districts have asked the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to conduct a “fact finding” investigation to separate the rhetoric from the reality.  As the Tacoma district spokesman put it, getting PERC involved would ensure both sides “operate from the same set of facts.”

Basically there is so much misinformation and distrust that a third party is needed to referee the argument.

Here’s an idea that would ensure everyone operates from the same set of facts—open collective bargaining negotiations to the public.  Open negotiations would allow the public (including the teachers who rely solely on their bargaining team to keep them informed) to witness first hand what offers are being made (and rejected) and the impact those offers would have on the school’s budget. 

Many other states require teacher contract negotiations take place in the open, and in this state Pullman school district blazed a trail and opened negotiations to the public last year, with no ill effects. Pullman schools finalized teacher contract negotiations with a 17% pay raise over two years and school started on time. 

It's hard to claim one side is distorting the truth or bargaining in bad faith when the facts are easily available to keep everyone honest.