MELLOW SAYS NOW IS THE TIME TO BAN SCHOOL STRIKES

          PITTSBURGH, March 7, 2007 – Pointing to growing public discontent over school strikes, State Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow (D-Lackawanna) today said the time is ripe for the state legislature to finally act on his proposal to outlaw school strikes by requiring a “last best offer” resolution to school labor impasses.

          “School strikes have victimized Pennsylvania’s children for too long,” Mellow said at a news conference in Pittsburgh.

          “With nearly a fifth of Pennsylvania schools operating with expired contracts, maybe enough legislators in Harrisburg will finally be willing to stand up and act on my bill.”

          While Mellow has introduced versions of his bill previously, the Senate majority party has always kept the proposals bottled up in legislative committees, or refused to consider bills that Mellow sought to amend his school strike bill into.

          Mellow said new Senate Republican leadership, coupled with growing public support for outlawing school strikes may provide the momentum he needs to get his bill to the Senate floor for a vote this session.

          “If my bill reaches the Senate Floor, it will pass,” Mellow said. “Bringing the bill up for a vote would force legislators to act and face the problem squarely.”

          Mellow, who was joined at the news conference by state Senator Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills), said his plan respects and encourages the traditional contract bargaining process to work through disagreements to produce an equitable agreement. However, his measure would impose reasonable limits on the bargaining timeframe, ending labor impasses in a fair way – and most importantly would prevent strikes from interfering with children’s education.

          Through March 1, there were 98 school districts in Pennsylvania operating with expired contracts. He added that impasses remain in eight of the nine school districts where strikes occurred in the 2006-07 school year. Those strikes affected over 24,704 students.

          Costa added that approximately 25 school districts in southwestern Pennsylvania are operating without contracts.

          “Apart from turning neighbor against neighbor in these communities, when these lengthy impasses are eventually settled, the teachers are given retroactive pay raises and benefit hikes,” Mellow said.  “These retroactive settlements often result in huge tax increases.”

          His plan, Senate Bill 20, would set into law an eight-month negotiating timeline.  If the teachers’ union or the school board fails to resolve their contract differences through a variety of means—including an impartial arbitration panel— each side would submit a last best offer to the county’s President Common Pleas Judge.

          The judge would then be required to select one of the two last best offers. The judge’s decision would be final and binding.

          “My bill fosters settlement rather than confrontation,” Mellow said.  “It makes negotiation — not posturing — the main focus of the settlement process. The plan promotes accountability, responsibility and decision-making.”