Northshore teachers consider illegal strike

Teachers in the Northshore school district could go on strike if negotiations over compensation and class size break down, reports King5.com. Local union president Tim Bertel described the bargaining progress as "extremely disappointing." The school district, on the other hand, is "very optimistic" a strike will be unnecessary. The union and the district are negotiating until Wednesday. If they fail to reach an agreement the teachers will vote August 27 on whether to strike.

Absent from the news report is the fact that public employee strikes are illegal in Washington state. An official opinion from the Attorney General in 2006 said that "state and local public employees do not have a legally protected right to strike." Numerous strikes have been ended by court orders.

This, however, has not stopped teachers unions from employing the threat of a strike to force bargaining concessions from school districts. 

Since teacher pay is on the table, here is a list of public school teacher salaries by district. 

 

 

Topics: strikes , public schools