WKSU News: Latest Strongsville strike meeting yields no results

Monday, March 18, 2013 Latest Strongsville strike meeting yields no results Mediator, school board and teachers' union make no progress in five-hour meeting on Sunday by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA	Reporter Kabir Bhatia

On the strike's first day, teachers manned picket lines as largely empty buses pulled into school parking lots this morning.

Courtesy of M.L. Schultze

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The Strongsville teachers’ strike enters its third week today, despite a five-hour meeting with school officials and mediators over the weekend. WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia reports.

Latest Strongsville strike meeting yields no results

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About 400 teachers are back on the picket line this morning, saying the school system’s last, best offer from March 2 is still insufficient. At issue are items such as pay freezes, dental benefits and retirement pension calculations.

The Plain Dealer reports that a negotiating meeting on Sunday produced no results. It’s the third time a federal mediator has called a meeting since the strike began.

The teachers say they’ve made enough concessions in the last two contracts. But Strongsville Superintendent John Krupinski says the school system could face a $6 million budget hole in coming years if the books aren’t balanced. It’s his first year as superintendent. Last week, he said he's saddened that one piece of the puzzle is missing in the school system where he’s served for 16 years.

“In our district, we’re ‘Excellent with Distinction’ for a reason. We have great students. They come from great families. We have wonderful teachers, excellent administrators, supportive parents and supportive community. And right now, one of our team members is absent.”

In a press release Saturday, Krupinski said the district is working to resume extracurriculars such as art, music and some spring sports in the district of 6,300. No further talks are scheduled at this time.

Listener Comments:

Best thing the board could have done is link the teachers proposed contract. Advise everyone to read it as it is a real eye opener.

What is in there that is helping the teacher teach or “For the Kids”??

The class room size as Tracy Linscott put it is “For the kids” - Really?? The way I read THE TEACHERS PROPOSED CONTRACT, once the class size gets so big, the teacher gets a bonus. Nothing about stopping the class size or extending the class time if it is too big – only that they get a bonus. How is that helping the kids??

The current contract states that the teacher’s school year cannot exceed 186 days. Let’s not even bring up how extreme the pay is for a maximum of 186 days’ work. THE TEACHERS PROPOSED CONTRACT states that the teacher’s school year cannot exceed 184 days. “For the kids”, but we want to work 2 days LESS.

How about the $2000 each year “longevity” bonus for teachers that have 13 years of time in per
THE TEACHERS PROPOSED CONTRACT??? Yes, that must be “For the kids”,

Let use Tracy Linscott (President of the Strongsville teachers union) as an example - makes $81K yr. to teach middle school. The current contract states that the teachers only have to work a 7 hour day. The union president gets to be excused from 2 hours of that EACH day to conduct “Union” business. So the tax payers pay her $23,100 a year to be the president and the “Kids” do not get the benefit of another teacher for two periods.

THE TEACHERS PROPOSED CONTRACT states that the union president will now get three hours a day to conduct “Union” business and an office. So the tax payers will pay her $34,700 a year to be the president and the “Kids” do not get the benefit of another teacher for three periods???

The teachers want a union, more power to them, but let them have a president and office that is paid for by that union and works for the union. Why should my Strongsville tax dollars go to pay her anything not to teach for almost half a day? Use that money to hire a new teacher!!!

Thanks to all the substitutes and DO NOT CAVE IN school board.

Posted by: Bill (Strongsville, Ohio) on March 18, 2013 11:03AM

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