By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

SPRINGBORO, Ohio – This type of thing should go the way of the dinosaurs.

The teachers union in the Springboro school district recently filed a complaint with the Ohio State Employee Relations Board, accusing to the school board of posting details of union collective bargaining negotiations on the school web site.

MORE NEWS: From Classroom to Consulate Chef: Culinary Student Lands Dream Job at U.S. Embassy in Paris

The union claimed the posting of information violated the “confidentiality of negotiations,” according to WDNT.com.

The state agency has “found enough evidence” to investigate the accusation and has ordered a 30-day mediation period to resolve the issue, the news report said.

Ohio is obviously caught in a time warp. Across the nation, more and more school districts are calling for open contact negotiations, where the public and media are welcome to observe.

One good example is Idaho, where open negotiations are the law for every school district.

Teacher union collective bargaining agreements are crucial spending documents. They lead to labor costs that often eat up about three-quarters of a typical district’s general fund budget.

Taxpayers who fund the schools should have an absolute right to watch the proceedings and let both sides know what they think about various contract proposals. Closing the doors to the public is akin to Congress debating the federal budget in private.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

For decades the unions have used the secrecy of closed-door negotiations to make outrageous financial demands and bully school boards into accepting them. The public does not get to see the final results, or learn where their money will go, until the pact has been ratified, the ink is dry and the deal is finalized.

How is that fair to the people who pay the bills?

In an open environment unions are less likely to get away with their aggressive bargaining approach, because they don’t want to appear self-serving in full view of the public. That why most unions generally oppose public bargaining.

If anything, the Springboro school board should be applauded for keeping constituents updated about the union’s wish list and the district response. This is very much the public’s business. Citizens have an absolute right to know what’s happening and should be given the opportunity to share their ideas during the negotiation process.

Wake up, Ohio, and join the government transparency movement. It’s the right way to go.