By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

BENSALEM, Pa. – It’s bad enough when a teachers union interrupts the school year with a strike.

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Now we’re hearing that the radical teachers union in Pennsylvania’s Neshaminy school district has voted to walk out on students for the second time this year.

Teachers walked out for eight days in January, and voted last Wednesday to strike again, just as the school year starts to wrap up and seniors prepare for graduation, according to Philly.com.

There was no word on when a strike would begin. Union President Louise Boyd said the teachers would walk out “when and under the circumstances the committee decides are appropriate.”

We don’t suppose “the committee” took into consideration how appropriate a second strike would be for the students and families of the Neshaminy district. On the contrary, we’re sure they chose to walk out again at the most inconvenient time for the community, to maximize their leverage at the bargaining table.

And these people expect to be considered dedicated educators.
The Neshaminy district has gained national attention for the bizarre demands and boorish behavior of its teachers union.

The teachers are among the highest paid in Pennsylvania, with an average salary of $81,816. They pay nothing toward their health insurance coverage, receive longevity bonuses, annual “step” raises and reimbusement for unused sick days. They also receive – believe it or not – $27,000 cash bonuses and full health coverage upon retirement.

But the school district is pinched for operating dollars, as evidenced by the recent layoff of 60 employees, the closing of two school buildings and the cancellation of several student programs.

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In response to the budget problems, the school board has offered teachers a one percent raise for each of the next three years, but would like them to pay between 10 and 20 percent of their health care costs and surrender the massive retirement bonuses.

The teachers have consistently rejected those terms, and they’ve been working without a contract for the past three years. Sort of.

At different times over the past two years, the teachers have merely “worked to contract,” which means they refused to perform any duties not specifically listed in their expired collective bargaining agreement, like writing college recommendation letters for graduating seniors, according to the news report.

That’s the way to solve the problem – take it out on the kids. And now they may refuse to work at all, for the second time in five months.

An arbitrator recently tried to solve the standoff with an absurd proposal that would have cost the school district close to $30 million over seven years, the news report said. The school board unanimously rejected this so-called compromise, which would have rewarded the teachers for their extreme selfishness and left the district in dire financial straits.

The board’s decision apparently prompted the second strike vote.

It’s time for Pennsylvania to join the 38 states that have made teachers strikes illegal. It’s also time for state lawmakers to consider limiting collective bargaining privileges for teachers unions, because they routinely abuse those privileges with blatant attempts to suck every possible penny out of communities, with no regard for general economic conditions.

Enough is enough.