This city can kiss passing a new levy good bye. It will never happen after this garbage the teachers are pulling. Take a cut in pay like the rest of America, and a pay freeze, and be thankful you still have a job.

www.seastrike2013.com

They are right to laugh at the thought of placing a levy on the ballot.... It will be a long time before I will even consider supporting a school levy. I wouldn't want the sheep (SEA members) to see an additional dime of my tax dollars! The teachers gave shown their true colors and have lost my respect!

If i lived in Strongsville I'd be more upset about the 400k hideous, obnoxious sign off the highway and the plans for another than this teachers strike. Get real people - you have all these high expectations of the teachers and do not want to pay them. What do you do in your job that's so important where you deserve the money!? They've already taken a pay freeze.

God,

It's me, Tad. I thought you would want to opine on the Crown Point Christmas dispute. I never really thought you would jump into labor disputes, but would be more concerned with two neighbors fighting over Christmas related stuff.

It's kind of funny with people saying "Now the strike is happening, a levy won't pass."

1) Levys usually fail in Strongsville.
2) Most of these people would have voted NO anyways on a levy. If you have the opinion the teachers are getting paid fine already, then why would you vote YES on a levy to increase it? Makes no sense at all.

Overall, I think people are just using the strike as an excuse to vote NO on one anyways. Get real.

A person claiming to be a teacher is posting on another forum that the BOE caved, and the union is getting 75 percent of what they asked for and an announcement will be made tomorrow morning. If that's the case, I will not vote for another levy again.

Just heard on the news that a mediator is coming in so I doubt anyone caved.

Fire the teachers.

how much is enough? It’s all unsustainable!
avon lake teachers get the following:
The average teacher's salary according to the
school's website is $61,600. (Teachers at top of the pay
scale make $110,151 a year)
The school pays an additional
$17,083/yr for a family health insurance plan
and 14.5 percent of each salary for pension, which
in this case is $8,932/yr for a total average per teacher of $87,615/year!

auto pay incr of $10,000 for masters achieved thru mand CE (no benefit on prep level per president of educ)

5%/yr auto increases in step and level pay
extra pay for longevity
Annuities, life ins, paid time off, vacation time
work roughly 181 days/yr
expected avg monthly retirement between 5,000-9000+/mo (buckeyeinstitute.org)
3% increase/yr in cost of living adjustments in their pensions
Pension spiking as done by applying sick time and cashing in other benefits to their last year of employment this can be as high as $138,694 (lorain assistant police chief Randall Hupp – ref: morn journal 2-8-12) added to the average of their last three years of employment boosting their monthly guaranteed pension amount

why not:
cap salary & benefits at $85,000/yr
Change out defined benefit plans for 401k's, why should taxpayers promise 5,000-9000+/mo
Eliminate the drop program for police and fire for 401k’s
Freezes have to do more than just to delay cost of living increases, we need to bring down salary & benefits in line with the private sector
we need to regionalize and privatize public workers as done for teachers in perochial schools whose teachers generally outperform the public sector , cleveland state police, fire, etc.
with outragous monies continuing to the public union sector we as a nation rank 19th or so in the world when it comes to education and have actually declined as public unions have taken a stronghold in the public sector.
ohio is currently over 66 billion in the red in promises in public union
for pension promises we can't afford we may have to impose a 3% TAX ON ohio over taxed residents as done in illinios and California to pay for the deficit
the real middle class makes on avg 36,000/yr without health ins and without retirement!
Don’t let the public unions intimidate soccer mom’s by making them pay more to play, cutting music and art, shortening the school day, eliminate busing or anything else to punish the public to get their greed satisfied! Cut their benys and salaries in half and lower our property taxes by 75% and call it a day!

This announcement just sounds like a page right out of the union-busting attorney playbook

With all the problems the citizens of our country currently face...it hurts to read that there are people still making statements like,"Take a cut in pay like the rest of America, and a pay freeze, and be thankful you still have a job." Educate yourself on the current climate of our economic situation, perhaps you'll change your tune.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/business/economy/corporate-profits-soar-as-worker-income-limps.html?_r=0

I have an idea. Why don't we offer this deal to the teachers and the Board: Teachers go back to work tomorrow under this condition. We put a levy on the November ballot in an amount that would give you everything you want in your last best offer. You have until November to campaign for passage. If it passes, you get a 3 year contract with everything you want. If it doesn't pass, you sign the Board's 3 year contract with their last best offer. Let the people of Strongsville who pay everyone's salary decide. We all love the teachers, but we might not be able to show our appreciation in money right now cause times are tough. We'll see. Who knows what will happen? Does that sound fair to anyone else out there?

It's sad that the BOE has to brag about the money they are saving...the real cost of this whole ordeal is all the learning that is undoubtedly NOT taking place in our schools this week. These kids are just being babysat. They may as well pay the high school kids $8 to babysit the elementary kids and rack up even more savings at this point.

We've saved enough to buy every student in the district a new math books!
WWW.SEASTRIKE2013.COM

Why not have the SEA members pitch in and bring in an independent accounting firm to review the budget projections and issue a public report on said review? That way, we can quickly address the "will there be a surplus or deficit in 14, 15 and 16" issue.

If it's proven that the accounting is correct, and there is no money, would SEA supporters agree their proposal has to be modified, because that would prove, there is no more money.

Isn't that fair?

Pick any of the major accounting firms....the work would not take long. And if the SEA hires them, they will be neutral, and people couldn't complain about cooked books or projections that are off.

I hear this argument every so often: that it’s all a fat cat plot to pit the middle class against the middle class and destroy the unions. But I’m paying your salary and your inflated benefits. It’s coming out of my pocket, not any fat cat’s pocket. Are you worth it? Some of you are and some of you aren’t. If that hurts your feelings, I’m sorry. P.S. I’m a Democrat. I just don’t believe in unions for public sector employees.

" When I grow up, I want to be a teacher, so I can be rich, drive fancy cars, take exotic vacations, hardly do any work, bully kids and spend all of my time trying to make the community that I love hate me"

- Said no one ever

And I know that a lot of the striker teachers are "celebrating" about having some of the HS students "striking" with them when they are supposed to be in school. Obviously, this is wrong for the sole reason of condoning truancy. However, I hope, for their own sake, that the SEA is realizing having the vast majority of support for their cause come from people who 1) can't vote (for levies) 2) don't pay property taxes (your paycheck/pension/benefits) 3) don't let their taxpaying parents know they'll be out there with you...might make you feel like you've "got the momentum" when your walking the line, but unfortunately, it doesn't really manifest into anything for your cause. The public is against you, in droves. I know many people in this community, most are extremely successful individuals who have a very good read on the pulse of this city...ZERO of them believe the public is with the teachers. So, you can continue to bomb the boards with the "all caps" "support your teachers" messages, but for the majority, it falls on deaf ears. Good luck...cause you will definitely need it.

Just keep typing in all caps and then the public will ignore the financial insolvency heading their way.

Well, the nice thing about my wealth...I'm immune to whatever economic storm heads to this community. I doubt i'm going out on a limb to say that you however are not.

i LOVE you students!!!!!!! We LOVE each of YOU!!!! That's why where NOT in class with YOU and walking around like goldfish trapped in a bag outside!!!!!!!!!

Have fun ladies....going out on the boat while you drones talk about "holding the line" with a bunch of 14 yo brainwashed kids.

I cannot wait to watch your line crumble as the real world starts hitting your striking teachers...and mortgage/rent/bills/healthcare, medical needs need to be addressed. The "union" will become irrelevant to these people and the reality of what they are losing will overcome whatever "fear" they have to cross your sad line.

Mock me or anyone here...I could literally care less. but I've been through enough striking unions to know what goes on. We'll be happy to welcome the inevitable line crossers back to work and, as you all like to say, "forgive them" for their error in judgement. Looking fwd to throwing them a welcome home party!

General consensus of Lyn and Myron:

Kids who support their teachers - brainwashed, punks, troublemakers

your two are class acts... you should get a room

Real Lyn,

Independent audit of Revenue (ie, starting point)? Thoughts?

The books are readily available. Nothing from stopping an outside accounting firm from reviewing projections and providing an opinion.

Time to ask the SEA. The board produces projections which are available, because the teachers have said the numbers are incorrect. The only way the teachers could make that comment (ie, they are wrong) is if they reviewed them and disagreed.

Great ideas have been the hallmark of my career.

So does it all mean that it ( surplus ) needs to go back in the teachers pockets ? Why not bring back a few programs , new books , capital needs , etc.

• Workers who strike over unfair labor labor practices which the union can prove to the NLRB—such as refusal to bargain in good faith—have a right to get their jobs back from replacements when the strike ends. The employer must lay off or fire replacements if necessary to make room for returning strikers.
• Workers who strike for a better contract (economic strikers) must be reinstated only if their jobs were not taken by permanent replacements—for example, if the company hired a strikebreaking firm to supply temporary labor.
An employer does not have to make room for economic strikers by firing permanent replacements, but when openings become available, the company must rehire the strikers unless they have found comparable jobs elsewhere or there is some strong business reason why they can’t be hired.
The employer does not have to rehire any strikers who take part in illegal activity or strike misconduct, such as intimidation and coercion of workers attempting to cross a picket line. The NLRB has even allowed employers to refuse to rehire strikers who made serious verbal threats to other workers.

Economics 101. You better have a surplus, if not and you are in the red, the state declares fiscal emergency and they come in. Guess what, everyone loses, especially everyone with contracts, Because one of the first things the state does, is eliminate contracts!!! With declining enrollment, deceased federal and state funding, rising expenses and limited available taxpayers funds, you have a recipe here for future budget deficits. I agree with Tad, bring in an outside accounting firm to check the books for both sides. If the calculations are correct, which I have a feeling they might be somewhere around the Treasurer's projections, than the SEA will have a very difficult time wiggling out of this fiasco!!!!!

The teacher (Ian Steffen) arrested yesterday received a $7,667 (15%) raise between the 2010 and 2011 school year. Did all of the teachers receive this much of a "pay freeze"?

http://www.tos.ohio.gov/teacher_salary

You folks read the Strongsville Post? March 2, 2013:
The 2012 financial audit of Strongsville City Schools by the Auditor of State Dave Yost’s office has returned a clean audit report. Strongsville Schools’ excellent record keeping has earned it the Auditor of State Award.
The Auditor of State Award is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit.

poeple in this town ,were fineally seeing our tax dollars at work look really hard at how these people are dressed they look like scum sucking ,sorry ment money sucking over educated top feeders ,as the taxes are paid by the struggling people of the citythe sharkes are ther eating as much as they can steal with there union as strong arm robber ,between the tax payer and the all consuming shark aknown as the teachers . RECTAL THERMOTERS ALSO HAVE DEGREES WE DONT GIVE THEM MILLIONS OF DOCTORS AND THEY HELP SAVE LIVES..

StrongDad, It's that Same " NARCISSIST EGOTISTIC " Mentality that HEAD Varsity Basketball coach "JOE LYNCH" HAS instilled in this basketball coach (IAN STEFFIN) and the rest of his staff that have NO RESPECT for other authority.

i have 2 kids in stg schools ,3rd day in albion was normal students accepting that these are our teachers and they are learning ,getting home work, having tests its a positive experiance my daughter ,says the teachers are excited to teach and are getting to know our names ,actuallythey like 3 of the new teachers better than their old ones ,there excited to teach they have a additude of gratitude its a win win situation,the board saves money ,my kids are happy just dont kike the home work assignments ,they evan had pop quizz today my daughter said .she actually looks forward to going to school its exciting for her. my senior son is seeing his class mates accepting the change says two of his teachers are hottys ,much better looking than the two old maides he had ,plus he got home work fromone class he never got before the teachers really teaching with passion because they appriciate what they have been given .some were unemployeed over 3 years as teacher positions are hard to find nation wide ,good luck and keep up you positive additude .were rutting for you .................

My levy vote :

NO if they keep the striking teachers (thugs)

YES, if they hire all new teachers, I will gladly pay for that

How is it a million a week for salary and benefits? I do not understand how a couple million dollar levy gets is anywhere.

One question for all of you trolls. Would you sign a contract that froze your pay at what it is today and would stay that way for the rest of your working life? Say you are 24 and plan on working till you are 65. That is 40 years taking home the same pay. And don't forget your city,state and federal taxes would go up.

This morning a blond woman was interviewed by channel 5. Not sure for where but she had to be a plant. She stated she was not against unions but was against the teachers union since it only represented teachers. DUH???? Does she think her local police union represents carpenters, and nurses. Shows the stupidity of some people opening their mouths before their brain is in gear. It is a wonderful thing for most of you that breathing is involuntary or you would all suffocate. Also this blonde did not even realize she was making such an asinine comment to a man with a microphone who is represented by a union that only represents on the air types and does not represent carpenters or dumb blond housewives. But it was a hoot to start the morning with.

lyn
Yes one of the contracts offered them was a lifetime freeze. You have no idea what my neighbor does for a living. Again for most of you trolls on this list. It is a damn good thing breathing is involuntary or you would suffocate yourselves. You are too dumb to breath. I would never want to be a teacher and have some of your children especially if they are like you. I know you are Tea gaggers as just like them you have no brain and seem to be missing a heart by the way you talk about people. These are the same people that wrote your children recomendations to get into college. That is not a part of the job description. These are the same people that constantly bring supplies to school for your little brats. Were I a teacher that would stop instantly. You big mouth ass holes could buy it yourselves. It is not a part of t he job description.

My children earned their way into college. And the mask comes off. It is funny how when they don't get the response they want, they immediately go into namecalling mode. "little brats" really? I hope to God that you are not a teacher anywhere. Quit packing yourself on the back so much. Anyone know what tea gaggers are?

panting not packing......

patting - sorry.