While Tacoma Teachers Strike, Their Union’s Staffers Work Without Contract

posted at 12:54 pm on September 19, 2011 by Mike Antonucci
[ Education ]   

Teachers in Tacoma, Washington, have been walking a picket line since last week, despite a judge’s order to return to work. The folks who are organizing those picket lines and helping conduct negotiations with district officials – the professional staffers of the Washington Education Association – are themselves working without a contract, and have been for the last three weeks.

While their representatives conduct contract talks with WEA management, WEA employees have decided to continue working, although they have been engaging in various job actions. Those not directly involved with the Tacoma strike are “working to rule,” which means performing only those tasks that are explicitly stated in their collective bargaining agreement and not putting in extra time on their own.

The major staff contract issues appear to be pensions and retiree health care – the costs of which have plagued other NEA state affiliates for years.

Staff union issues have recently come the forefront in Wisconsin, but two dozen NEA state affiliates have been, or soon will be, in negotiations with their staff unions over new contracts. Since most states are experiencing declining membership and revenues, there may be more labor strife of the type currently on display in Washington.

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