Strongsville, OH – Strongsville City School District teachers officials went on strike on Monday. Teachers gathered at a local Holiday Inn the evening of the vote to discuss plans. Northern Ohio teachers began marching around school buildings with “No Contract, No Work” picket signs as students and substitutes arrived on the campus.
The Ohio teachers strike occurred after the group turned down the Strongsville Board of Educations “last best offer” on Sunday evening, Fox 8 News reports. Earlier in the day on Sunday at crowd of chanting Strongsville teaches “stormed” city hall as substitutes filled out the paperwork necessary to take the helm in classrooms, the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes.The strike officially began at midnight.
So far, neither the Ohio teachers union nor the Strongville school district is offering details about the final contract offer. The angst which led to the teachers strike in the northern Ohio town reportedly began over salaries and working conditions.
Strongsville Board of Education President David Frazee issued the following release about the teachers strike:
“I am extremely disappointed that our teachers have voted to implement a strike beginning on March 4, 2013. However, the Board of Education is grateful that we have a highly capable and professional administrative team as well as qualified substitute teachers in place, who want only the best for our students. I want to personally thank the Strongsville Police Department for their efforts so that our students and non-striking staff are able to open schools on Monday as we begin this teachers’ strike. We believe we have done everything we could to avoid a teachers’ strike. It was the Strongsville Education Association’s decision to go on strike.”
Frazee also noted that the Strongsville City School District will continue negotiations “in good faith” during the teachers strike. The school’s strike preparation plan is currently being put into effect. The school board president stated his belief an agreement both fair to teachers and affordable to the district will ultimately be reached.
A statement issued by the Strongsville Education Association indicates the vote in favor of the teachers strike was “overwhelmingly” in support of the decision to leave the classroom. The Ohio teachers union also claims that it “became clear” to the rank and file that the school board was not willing to negotiate in “good faith” with the educators. Contract negotiations have been ongoing for nine months.
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