Thursday, September 10, 2009

$200 daily fine on each striking Kent teacher

There IS a consequence for walking off the job in an illegal strike. This has probably happened before, but not that I recall. And why isn't the Washington Education Association appealing the judge's original ruling the the strike is illegal? They say they have never lost in appeals court. Because they have never appealed. Seattle Times Newspaper:
Kent School District teachers who don't report to work Monday will be fined $200 a day, a judge ruled this afternoon after morning-long negotiations failed to end a 15-day teachers' strike. The Kent Education Association, which represents the teachers, also faces fines of $1,500 a day if the strike continues, said King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas. All fines would be retroactive to Sept. 8, the day Darvas first ordered the district's 1,700 teachers to return to work. The two sides had begun bargaining at 8 this morning. At some point, the KEA offered a contract amount that was $200,000 less than the district's $10.5 million proposal — provided the district would reduce class sizes, said union president Lisa Brackin Johnson. The union even lowered its earlier class-size reduction request, she said. The two sides bargained right up until the 1 p.m. court hearing. District spokeswoman Becky Hanks said the district didn't have time to fully consider the union's latest terms before the hearing began. Grass Lake Elementary teacher Shayne Satter said he was stunned and saddened by Darvas' ruling...
Oh, the poor man is stunned that his illegal behavior might have consequences. Oh, he should be saddened. And ashamed.

No comments: