The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, September 14, 1994 5% Guest column Three stategies to stop teachers’ strikes 3 @ By JOSEPH V. ORAVITZ Students in Pennsylvania's 501 public schools are beginning a new year of classes. However, for several thousand students there looms the threat of an unwanted, extended vacation because their teachers may walk out if contract demands are not met. Unfortunately, these strikes are not uncommon in Pennsylvania. We lead the nation in the number of walkouts in our public schools and have gained the title of “School Strike Capital” of the nation. This regrettable history has affected virtually every commu- nity, touching the lives of millions of students, including over $53,000 in 1993-94 alone. For more than 20 years, these strikes continued, unabated. For » @ nore than 20 years, the Pennsyl- vania General Assembly stead- fastly avoided taking any action to restrain teacher unions from closing schools at will. For more than 20 years, not one school strike bill ever was reported from a committee in either the state House or Senate, let alone voted on by either chamber. All that changed two years ago, when the General Assembly aapassed Act 88 of 1992. This law is “significant for several reason, but most notably because it repre- sented the first restriction on public school employees’ right- to-strike in nearly a generation. Act 88 bans selective strikes, requires advance public notice of strikes, establishes a mandatory timetable for bargaining, enacts new impasse resolution proce- dures and, perhaps most impor- | ye tantly, ensures that no strike will preclude a child from receiving the minimum 180 days of instruc- tion to which she or he is entitled by law. Already, Act 88 has had a sig- nificant impact. After just two years, the law has helped to cut the number of strikes in the state by half, generally produced set- tlements more quickly and re- duced average salary increases by almost 25%. However, as encouraging as these statistics may be, there remains genuine cause for con- cern. The number of strikes may have been dramatically reduced, but 16 walkouts (in 1993-94) is still too many. The unavoidable truth is that in public schools alone, employ- ees are able to strike and gener- ally recover lost wages due to the rescheduling of classes after- wards. No other persons enjoy the same advantage. The require- ment to revise school calendars in order to provide the mandated 180 days of school effectively creates an incentive to strike, since teachers know that days spent on a picket line early in the school year likely will be made up later on. There are three options to deal with this problem. The first is to permit school districts not to re- schedule classes following a strike, thereby removing any assurance that days on strike (and lost wages) will be recouped. While that may enhance the school boards’ bar- gaining position, it also has the effect of punishing the students, by precluding them from receiv- ing instruction to which they are entitled. The second option is to ban school strikes altogether. How- ever, any proposal to repeal the right-to-strike will inevitably lead to the potential for enactment of binding arbitration as the ulti- mate means of resolving bargain- ing impasses. PSBA views arbitration as a cure worse than the disease. It effectively undermines represen- tative government, by turning over to persons who are unaccount- able to the community the au- thority to establish salaries, bene- fits and working conditions that drive local budgets. School boards would be left to do little more than raise the taxes to pay for settle- ments awarded by arbitrators. And costs likely would soar. (In Connecticut, arbitrators sided with the teacher unions more than 75% of the time over a ten year period.) The third alternative is, in our opinion, the next logical step. PSBA supports imposing a finan- cial assessment on teachers for each day a strike disrupts the regular school calendar. The amount withheld should be twice the daily rate of pay for each day on strike, as it is done in New York state. That way, even when strike days are made up, teachers will still lose one day of pay for each day they strike — as do others who decide to withhold their serv- ices. For those who contend that this proposal is one-sided and unfair, we suggest that such leg- islation also contain an equal assessment against state aid re- ceived by the school district. This removes even the appearance that districts would stand to benefit financially by not settling a con- tract dispute. PSBA believes such a proposal would encourge the negotiating parties to reach agreement and virtually eliminate all school strikes. That would be in every- one’s best interest. Joseph V. Oravitz is executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Assocation, a nonprofit organization representing the inter- ests of, and providing services to, the state’s 501 school districts. Maternal and Family Health to hold benefit golf tournament The second annual Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS) golf tournament will be held September 16 at Shadow- brook Resort with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. The format is captain and crew. A hole-in-one, at the tourna- ment could win a trip for two to Orlando, Florida donated by Tenenbaum'’s Travel. Other prizes include closest to the pin and longest drive for both men and women players. Registration fee of $75 includes cart, green fees, lunch at the turn, on-course refreshments and buf- fet dinner. For more information, call 1-800-FOR-MFHS. NOTICE New To Wyoming Valley Cann? A FAMILY FUN AND PARTY CENTER NEW PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAMS Ages 3-5 STORYTIMES 9:30 A.M. & 12:30 P.M. FUN W/NUMBERS 10:30 A.M. & 1:30 P.M. MON.-FRI. *1/class OR *8/week cALL 693-PLAY 710 REGISTER 1901 WYOMING AVE., EXETER MAJOR PERFORMING .. ARTS GENTER ZANE FASHION & CHARM STUDIO Carverton Rd., Trucksville "The Most Complete Performing Arts Education Center in NE PA" "The Family Center" NEW SEPT. PROGRAMS! « NEW TAP-JAZZ CLASSES, 7-12 YRS WITH LINDA O'BOYLE « BEGINNER AnD INTERMEDIATE BALLET WITH CINDY MILLINGTON « TODDLER DANCE (21/2-3 1/2 YRS.) « PRESCHOOL DANCE (4-5 YRS.) « PRIMARY LEVEL DANCE (5-6 YRS.) « NEW SATURDAY DANCE PROGRAM « TUMBLING, 8 WEEK COURSE STARTS 9/23 « VOCAL WITH GINA MAJOR Reference retail prices. ®) (0) Library news “Book Club's first meeting of season September 19 By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Book Club of the Back Mountain Memorial Library will old its first meeting of the new season on Monday, Sept. 19, at 1:30 in the reference room of the library. The Book Club has received $1,885 in membership dues to date, which money has been used to purchase books for the Book Club shelf in the library. These books circulate to book club members only for the first six onths after purchase. Inter- m ®.:ied members are invited to join the book club; $10 for a single membership and $15 fora double. The program will be a book review and some show and tell items from members. Guests are wel- come to attend. Tuesday, Sept. 27 will be Amnesty Day at the library. All books returned between 9:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. will be received 3 : 2 | with no overdue fines charged. v | We would hope that some long overdue books will be returned; either in the bookdrop or at the front desk. The library is currently show- ing the Wyoming Valley Youth Salute pictures in the library. The program is sponsored by the National Councel on Youth Lead- ership. The library has 28 select student pictures from Dallas and — Lake-Lehman High Schools. Two J) J of the students shown have previ- ously worked at the Back Moun- tain Memorial Library. The pic- tures will be here until September 16; SEPTEMBER SPECTACULAR reminder. Saturday, the 24th beginning at 11 a.m. untilallitems are sold. Auction in the antique room on the library grounds, cash sales only. Sale space available at $12 a table with check at library for reservation. Book Sales in the library basement. Food vendors on the grounds. This is the final wrap up for auction 1994. New books at the library: “A Son of the Circus” by John Irving is a novel of Dr. Farrokh Daru- walla, a 59-year-old orthopedic surgeon and a Canadian citizen who lives in Toronto. He returns toBombay periodically where most of his patients are crippled chil- dren. “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Sidney Sheldon takes the reader into the frenetic world of abig San Francisco hospital...where events catapult three women doctors into a white-hot spotlight. The story races from the life-and-death decisions to the fireworks of a murder trial. “Daughter of the Stars” by Phyllis Whitney is a spellbinding tale of a young woman's search for her family and for the truth about her father's disappearance. Lacey Elliott seems to have every- thing, but there has always been a great deal missing from her life. “Until You” by Judith McNaught is a glorious new romance, sweep- ing from the wilds of America to the elegant ballrooms of 1820's London, in which a beautiful, spirited girl embarks on a marvel- ous adventure. The life before her seems full of wondrous possibili- ties. “Ask for Kurt, A sale you will soil your pants over. 90% off all trees and shrubs! We also have a wide selection of perennials, and over 400 mums in stock! Along with our other products like: mulch, gravel, fertilizers, grass seed, peat humus, top soil, clay pot:ery & lots more! And remember Fail is for planting- so check out our full linz of holland bulbs! We are your one stop full service landscape center with 10 years experience. So stop in soon, you might mess your pants but the yard will be beautiful. FOOTPATHS & LANDSCAPES Route 309 (1/4 mile north of Insalaco’s) 675-8733 the expert in dirt” SALE SEPT. 16TH - 24TH All layaways held through Christmas. e We Stock All Grades of Diamonds in Every Price Range e Largest Selection in Northeast Pennsylvania e Laser Inscribed Lazare Diamonds e Courteous Service in an Unhurried Atmosphere e Written Guarantee and Appraisal Certificate Trade-in Policy Private Booths for Diamond Selection e Certified Diamond Experts er em tS a a i SFE Just fill out this form and present it at Bartikowsky Jewelers in downtown Wilkes-Barre from now until September 24th and you can ae ee sr nae es] I f J. = WR | Winone of ten $50 Bartikowsky gift certificates. No purchase necessary. I | | TELEPHONE —L( ) a ee en sh wl oo —————— Engagement Rings - Earrings - Bracelets Pendants - Men’s Rings - Pins Anniversary & Wedding Rings Diamond Jewelery Set With Gemsilones 141 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre e (717) 823-7111 Open Monday through Saturday 10 am - 5:15 pm Open Thursday nights until 8:45 pm Financing Available © Plenty of Free Store-Side Parking para ammo A — mol Life Improvement Loans { 1 300 MELLON-2 Mellon Bank You're why we do our very best? © 1994 Melon Bonk Corporation QUALLS LENDER Melton Bank, NA, - Member FDIC
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers