Teachers in the South Butler County School District went on strike this week, marking the fifth time a strike has occurred in the past 40 years.
For many, that’s unacceptable.
Bob Mase is a district taxpayer.
“No one works four years without a contract,” Mase said at a rally held earlier this week. He’s referring to the fact that the last time the South Butler teachers and the school district had a current contract was in 2014.
Lynn Mercer is a member of the South Butler community.
“Why is South Butler the only school district in Butler County that goes for years without settling contracts? This is a cycle that goes back to the 1980s. It’s got to stop,” Mercer said.
District taxpayer Heather Helsel hopes both sides, the school board and the teachersm can listen to each other and come together.
“We’re all on the same team,” she said. “Everybody wins whenever we have strong schools. Both sides need to set aside petty issues and get a contract done.”
Teachers started picketing around campus late Thursday morning. Several were holding signs that read “Fair Contract Now” and “We Teach, We Care, Be Fair.” The teachers are expected to be out picketing every morning until they return to the classroom.
According to Pennsylvania State Education Association representative Brooke Witt, the state Department of Education informed the teachers that they need to return to class by April 3rd.
No negotiation sessions with the South Butler School Board have yet been scheduled between now and then.
The two sides last met on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights before teachers began picketing on Thursday. Classes within the district have been cancelled until further notice.
“It’s very frustrating for the teachers,” Brooke Witt, the teachers’ union rep, said Thursday. “The district’s solicitor says that we failed to compromise. We’ve compromised on every issue.”
Witt said this is not the first strike for some of these South Butler teachers. This is the fifth strike for some.
“That’s a lot,” she said.
The major sticking points are healthcare coverage and wages.
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