District has gained national notoriety for its out-of-control teachers union
Last February, the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers held a closed-door meeting to discuss whether or not members should authorize a strike in response to its contentious contract negotiations with the district.
At the time, NFT President Louise Boyd expressed frustration with the lack of progress and was quoted by phillyburbs.com as saying, “Somehow, we have to get this thing started.” The implication was clear: the union could use the threat of a teachers’ strike to strengthen its hand at the bargaining table.
In an ironic twist, the NFT may have overplayed its hand and helped make the case of lawmakers who want to ban teacher strikes throughout Pennsylvania. A public hearing on the anti-strike bill, House Bill 1369, is scheduled for Thursday morning at Neshaminy High School, of all places.
While Education Action Group does not endorse any particular legislation, we believe the bill will be of much interest to the Neshaminy community, which has been adversely affected by the poisonous atmosphere created by the NFT’s prolonged contract battle. The NFT has been operating under the terms of its most recent contract which expired in 2008, reports phillyburbs.com.
The most intriguing aspect of HB 1369 is the provision that would require negotiators from the school district and the teachers union to periodically explain their positions to the community and answer any questions local residents may have. Far too often, contract talks take place behind closed doors, leaving taxpayers and parents out of the loop, even though it is their children and their tax dollars that will be directly affected.
As one lawmaker correctly noted, Neshaminy has become “ground zero” for teacher strikes in Pennsylvania. That Neshaminy might play a role in an outright ban on teacher strikes should be welcome news to Pennsylvanians who are tired of seeing unions treat students as pawns in their high-stakes political games.
-###-
One Comment
It’s about time!