Board’s inflexibility led to long strike

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Ron Young has it wrong (Dec. 14 letter, “Marysville recall: School board stood up for students”). There are a lot of reasons for the recall effort currently underway, but it has nothing to do with his “standing up for what is best for the students.”

When the “teachers strike” occurred, I wrote to the district and asked why the teachers contract wasn’t extended. I got this answer: “This was not an option set by the school board. They set all the parameters for bargaining.” When the court action seeking an injunction was in progress I wrote to the district suggesting that they offer to extend the old contract and avoid the expense of the court action. The answer: “Working under the conditions of the existing contract was not an option teachers could choose when they voted in September. The option was to strike or not.” I then wrote to the judge handling the injunction suggesting that she order the old contract extended, and then order the teachers back to work. As it turned out, the judge did order the old contract extended, and within hours of that order the teachers agreed to return to the classrooms.

Ron Young and Helen Mount were part of the school board that set the parameters for bargaining. It took a court order to force the district to do something they should have done in the first place. I think that offering to extend the old contract while negotiating with the teachers in good faith would have been better for the students.

As for Ron Young’s “bring it on” statement, it’s time for the school board to order the superintendent to negotiate with the teachers in good faith, and show some respect for the teachers and all the members of this community. Bring that on.

Arlington