No Deal, No Progress in Strongsville Teachers Strike

It looks like Strongsville teachers will be back on the picket lines Monday after negotiating teams failed to reach an agreement Sunday that would end the seven-week-old strike.

The two sides met for nearly eight hours before emerging without a deal.

School Board President David Frazee said the Strongsville Education Association "continues to insist on unreasonable economic and contract language terms.”

"Based on the continuing unreasonableness of SEA, the mediation session ended without progress,” Frazee said. “The SEA won’t take meaningful steps to end their strike.

He added that there are only 32 days left in the school year.

"While it is not ideal, if forced to finish the year with substitute teachers, we will," he said in a news release.

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UPDATE: .
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On Friday, SEA President Tracy Linscott called on the teams to meet for "as long as it takes" to reach a settlement. 

The two sides have remained at odds over both financial and workload issues.

Linscott could not be reached for comment Sunday night.

At the last session a week ago, the School Board upped its offer to include half-step raises for teachers and a one-time payment of $1,200 for those not eligible for step increases. 

The SEA made a counter-offer that included full step raises and column increases, as well as two $1,500 payments for those not included.

The union also wants other concessions, including a cap on class sizes and a "no reprisal" clause that would waive repercussions for teachers for their actions during the strike.

Frazee said Sunday night that the board on April 14 offered the teachers more money, but "the SEA negotiation team rejected it out of hand."

He added that "the SEA leadership has yet to take the board’s offer to the membership for a vote.”

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For other stories on the teachers' strike, click here.

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