Teacher Strikes Spur Bills Union Offers To Give Up Right In Exchange For Arbitration

The union that represents Washington’s teachers offered Wednesday to give up the right to strike in exchange for binding arbitration in contract negotiations.

The offer was prompted by two bills, SHB1316 and HB2374, from the Republican-dominated House that would ban strikes outright. Neither bill offers a way to solve a contract impasse leading to a strike.

In arbitration, a third party agreed upon by both the union and the school district would look at union and management contract proposals and hammer out a compromise. Both sides would be bound to accept it.

Sen. Dwight Pelz, D-Seattle, is sponsoring a bill that includes the union’s arbitration solution.

The Spokane Education Association, the local branch of the state teachers union, is backing the idea.

SEA president Jerry Hopkins said the compromise would help polish public education’s image in light of scheduled tax levy votes next month and two citizen initiatives that would change public schools.

“We don’t have to get out there and bash each other,” Hopkins said. “Striking is a no-win process and I think we are past the time that it is necessary.”

Rep. Ian Elliot, R-Kirkland, sponsor of a House bill to ban teacher strikes, called the union offer “marvelous” but he avoided endorsing Pelz’s bill.

The bill has powerful opponents.

Spokane School Board President Terrie Beaudreau said she opposes Pelz’s bill because it takes powers vested in elected officials and places them in the hands of a third party, the arbitrator, who may not be around to see the consequences.

Beaudreau said a collaborative relationship between the board and the union has nearly eliminated the need for both strikes and arbitration.

“We believe what we are using is a win-win relationship,” Beaudreau said.

Spokane School District employees last struck in 1979, Beaudreau said.

Sen. Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane, said he supports outlawing strikes, but opposes binding arbitration. “Binding arbitration lets one person decide how much you will pay in taxes,” McCaslin said.

Rep. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said banning strikes was part of the anti-education agenda of the far-right group in the Republican caucus. “To ban strikes is to undermine collective bargaining,” she said.

Brown said she does support the concept of binding arbitration.

Eastern Washington University Professor Bill Shreeve, chairman of the Education Department, said strikes are a painful way for unions to solve problems.

“I suspect that if we ban strikes altogether, the union will still have strikes,” said Shreeve, who supports binding arbitration. “It’s better to a have a method to solve them.”

Lynn Jones, an elementary school teacher in Spokane, said trading the right to strike for binding arbitration would help educators in the long run.

“The idea of going on strike and all the issues that involves gives me an uncomfortable feeling,” Jones said. “This sounds like a more civilized way of doing business.”

Legislatures in several states, including Minnesota and Pennsylvania, are considering or have adopted similar measures.

Larry Wicks, executive director of the Minnesota Education Association, said the union there is against any measure that would eliminate a teacher’s right to strike.

“We believe that it has served us well,” Wicks said. “The fact that there has been haven’t been many strikes shows they have worked for both parties.”

, DataTimes