At the 2014 Washington State School Directors Association, “Legislative Assembly” hundreds of elected school board members met to consider proposals for their organization to work on in the upcoming legislative session.
The Freedom Foundation was permitted to offer alternatives for consideration because of our advocacy on education issues and our efforts to champion local control.
We offered modest ideas we believe would help level the playing field between volunteer elected school boards and the professionals pursuing the unions’ interests in schools.
The assembly debated and agreed to support our legislative idea to require public-sector unions to send a digital copy of the collective bargaining agreement to their regulatory agency, the Public Employment Relations Commission.
Too often, the union negotiators will choose only the most favorable districts’ employee contract provisions as examples of common practices. Creating a comprehensive library of these agreements would make it easier for district leaders to see through this kind of cherry-picking. It would also make it easier for researchers to identify trends and good and bad practices in bargaining agreements.
We worked with Sen. Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup) on legislation offering this solution in the 2014 and look forward to having help convincing the lawmakers to adopt this reasonable approach.
Other policies which the Washington State School Directors Association has already endorsed to level the playing field for elected boards:
Exclude School Calendar from Mandatory Negotiations (SLP 7.3.3)
WSSDA believes the school calendar is a matter of public concern and should not be a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. (Adopted 1979; Amended 2001)
Strikes and Labor Disputes (SLP 7.6.6)
WSSDA is opposed to strikes as a means of settling disputes in public education as referenced in RCW 41.56.120. WSSDA strongly supports decisions by Washington courts that strikes by public employees are illegal. Participants in strikes should suffer economic losses or professional sanctions.
WSSDA supports legislation that would:
- Remove mandatory binding arbitration as the means of resolving impasses in negotiations. It is against the public interest to give final authority over the schools’ operations to an arbitrator, who has no continuing responsibility for implementing an arbitration award.
- Impose penalties upon either party who fails to participate in impasse processes and other required procedures designed to promote agreement before the beginning of school.
When a local school district is faced with a strike, WSSDA recommends that the school board take the action, including injunctive relief, it deems necessary to fulfill its obligation to students and patrons.
During a strike, WSSDA will provide services or assistance requested by the local school board. (Adopted 2001, Amended 2013)
Health Care Bargaining (SLP 7.6.5)
WSSDA shall initiate and/or support legislation which would exclude funding of health benefits from being negotiated in school district’s collective bargaining agreements. (Adopted 2010)
