By Victor Skinner
EAGnews.org

GLENSHAW, Pa. – Students in Pennsylvania’s Shaler Area school district are complaining to the school board about union negotiation tactics that are threatening student events and prospects for college.

Union bosses dropped a bomb on district officials this week when they delivered a packet outlining teachers’ extracurricular activities they plan to hold hostage to secure a new employment contract. School officials, parents and students are aghast at the union’s bully tactics, but are pressing ahead to develop “an arsenal of volunteers” to step up where teachers left them hanging, TribLive.com reports.

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“Shaler Area school board President Jim Giel said he was surprised when a packet containing 50 to 75 pages was delivered to his home, detailing activities where teachers would not participate,” the newspaper reports.

“The Christmas play, chaperoning powder-puff football, ticket takers at events, letters of recommendation, trips – even providing Kleenex and candy in the classroom” are being held hostage by the union, Giel told the news site.

“I’m saddened by it. We’ll do everything possible, whatever we can to get chaperones. We will never let senior prom get canceled – even if I have to sit and plan the prom myself, I will,” he said.

Unions commonly employ the “work-to-contract” tactic to pressure local school boards into accepting expensive employee raises and benefits they frequently can’t afford, and the nefarious scheme often works.

But it could backfire at Shaler schools.

Dozens of parents and students expressed their disappointment with the situation at a recent board meeting.

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“Please help us protect our activities. We’re seeing our senior year threatened because of things that are out of our control,” senior Collin Ziegler said, according to TribLive.com.

Shaler’s District Parent Council is developing an “arsenal of volunteers” to help save student events that school employees abandoned. Giel encouraged students to contact district administrators if they need volunteers, sponsors or letters of recommendation, TribLive.com reports.

“We know you’re stuck and anything we can do as a board we will to help you,” Giel said. “This board is concerned about the kids in this school district.”

That’s certainly more than we can say for the local teachers union.