CV School Strike–Winners and Losers Revisited
Yesterday I wrote an assessment of who I thought would be the winners and losers. At the time, I believed that the teachers would be the big winners. I have reconsidered.
If this were a real strike, then they would emerge the winner. But with a 3 day strike cap, there are only losers.
I say “if this were a real strike” because since the state has apparently put a 3 day time limit on the strike, the teachers have simply extended the school year. Barring a “work slow-down/stoppage” or a “sick-out” by the teachers, there will be no real impact other than extending the school year.
Knowing that the strike will end in three days, the school board must simply wait. At the end of three days, I can imagine the school board starting the next meeting with “Did you enjoy your vacation? Do you have anything else? Are you willing to accept our contract now?”
And before I wrap up, I wanted to remind everyone that the biggest losers are the parents, and students. The local media has been reporting many “personal impact” stories. Parents are upset because they have had to scramble for childcare. In the local paper, the Patriot-News, one mother is quoted as saying
“I’m angry about the strike,” said Amy Lavarto, whose three children go to Sporting Hill Elementary School. “I only make minimum wage, and I have to work. I will have to find day care for my children, which is an expense I don’t need.”
While more poignantly, a father expresses his distress over the crisis exacerbated by the teachers’ strike
Jim Perry is to drive his wife to a Philadelphia hospital for brain surgery Thursday morning.
He couldn’t care less about the contract fight between the Cumberland Valley teachers and school board. He doesn’t have time to read their proposals. He doesn’t have the luxury of considering whether Thursday’s planned teachers strike seems justified.
Whatever. Perry said he just needs school to stay open.
“The timing is horrible for me all the way around,” said Perry, whose sons attend Silver Spring Elementary and Eagle View Middle schools.
So, we have parents as losers.
The Good News is that when the next school bond initiative comes up for a vote, people will remember.
I have reflexively voted NO on every single school bond issue I can (even renewals) since about my tenth or so “WTF Moment” with teacher’s unions (circa 1995).
Ultimately, I would like to see both sides of the monopoly (capital and labor) collapse and let the free market work.
About the only major disagreement I have with Thomas Jefferson philosophically is his contention that state mandated indoctrination was a “public good.”
Yeah, well, sounded like a good idea at the time; and actually worked pretty well for the first 100 years or so . . .
the other steve