Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Teachers Strike Was A Mean Spirited, Churlish Act
After seven days on the picket line, Baldwin-Whitehall teachers announced they are returning to work a day earlier than they are required by law to do. A union spokesman, in what appears to be a feeble attempt at humor, was quoted as saying, “We could be on strike until Friday, but our team felt that this was in the best interest of students.”
Now what in the union’s recent behavior, including walking off the job for seven days, would incline anyone to believe that the union really has the students’ interest at heart? From their point of view nothing was accomplished. They were not able to rally community support for their desired contract terms, and in bargaining terms they are no closer to getting what they want than before the walkout.
Let’s be clear. The teachers went on strike for one reason and one reason only. They wanted to poke their figurative finger in the figurative eye of the school board and taxpayers. And under Pennsylvania’s egregiously misguided law that allows to teachers to strike and still get a full years pay, the union can, with relative impunity, disrupt the lives of parents, students and other non-union employees.
Contract talks remain at a stalemate as the school board held firm in the face of the union’s demands and walkout. Baldwin-Whitehall, along with many other Pennsylvania communities, simply cannot afford to raise school property taxes, which are already very high. The cost to the community in terms of becoming less attractive to homebuyers and the consequent effect on home prices just cannot be lightly dismissed.
The game played by teacher unions is despicable. They use wages paid in other much higher salary districts to argue for big increases. If they are successful, then other district unions will follow their lead, with the end result that virtually all districts are paying more than they would in a purely free market driven environment. When there are 1300 applicants for each teacher position opening in Allegheny County, there is only one inference to be drawn. Teacher pay and benefits are way out of line with other occupations and teachers in other states.
Now what in the union’s recent behavior, including walking off the job for seven days, would incline anyone to believe that the union really has the students’ interest at heart? From their point of view nothing was accomplished. They were not able to rally community support for their desired contract terms, and in bargaining terms they are no closer to getting what they want than before the walkout.
Let’s be clear. The teachers went on strike for one reason and one reason only. They wanted to poke their figurative finger in the figurative eye of the school board and taxpayers. And under Pennsylvania’s egregiously misguided law that allows to teachers to strike and still get a full years pay, the union can, with relative impunity, disrupt the lives of parents, students and other non-union employees.
Contract talks remain at a stalemate as the school board held firm in the face of the union’s demands and walkout. Baldwin-Whitehall, along with many other Pennsylvania communities, simply cannot afford to raise school property taxes, which are already very high. The cost to the community in terms of becoming less attractive to homebuyers and the consequent effect on home prices just cannot be lightly dismissed.
The game played by teacher unions is despicable. They use wages paid in other much higher salary districts to argue for big increases. If they are successful, then other district unions will follow their lead, with the end result that virtually all districts are paying more than they would in a purely free market driven environment. When there are 1300 applicants for each teacher position opening in Allegheny County, there is only one inference to be drawn. Teacher pay and benefits are way out of line with other occupations and teachers in other states.
