WEA’s tactics with state won’t impress public

The state teachers’ union needs a remedial lesson in public relations.

Despite evidence that its in-your-face political tactics have backfired, the Washington Education Association continues to dig itself into a deeper hole. It’s not doing its members, or the state’s children, any favors.

Times are tough all over, and teachers have some legitimate gripes. Education funding increases were put on hold this year to balance the state budget, but academic standards continue to get tougher, as do the penalties for failing to achieve them.

The WEA responded by playing hardball, staging one of the largest rallies in legislative history on the session’s opening day, then vowing to campaign against lawmakers who didn’t vote for the union’s agenda. That list of lawmakers includes some of public education’s most loyal supporters — hardly a winning strategy.

In the end, voter-approved initiatives to give teachers across-the-board raises and reduce class sizes were suspended to fill a gaping budget hole without completely gutting social services. Overall state spending for public schools, however, went up by 2 percent. And lawmakers addressed one of the union’s long-time concerns — pay for beginning teachers — by providing money for cost-of-living raises for teachers with seven years or less of experience.

The response? The union has rejected the gesture and threatened to sue the state, saying pay raises must be negotiated at the district level.

Maybe union leadership figures it has nothing more to lose, given that it already has alienated most of its friends. But with the prospect of contentious contract negotiations this fall that could lead to strikes in some districts — including Marysville — you would think teachers would be looking to improve their political image, not further tarnish it. Beating the drum of labor unrest only increases the likelihood of strikes, which end up hurting kids.

The Legislature made tough but necessary choices this year, and most citizens understand that. The Northwest economy still shows few signs of shaking out of its doldrums, and even workers who have a job are worried about whether they’ll have one tomorrow. Education funding is taking much bigger hits in other Western states — just take a look at the messes in California and Oregon.

For the union to be so vindictive about the suspension of across-the-board pay hikes shows its leadership is out of touch. Voters approved the pay-raise initiative in the late ’90s, when revenues were pouring in and it seemed the good times would roll forever. When the crash came, adjustments had to be made. Everyone seems to understand that except the WEA.

Its members and the state’s children would be better served by a less militant approach, one that favors cooperation over hostility.