CAIRO TEACHERS STRIKE AVERTED

It is September, back-to-school time, so it seemed that the teachers in Cairo, Ill. public schools could once again go out on strike. But such a repeat of the 1994 strike was narrowly averted when members of the Cairo Teachers Association accepted a one-year agreement and returned to the classroom on Monday, Sept. 9.

The Cairo School Board approved the contract on a 4-0 vote, with three members absent. The school district employs 76 teachers and serves nearly 1,000 students.

Few events are more disruptive to a community, especially a small one, than a strike among public school teachers. In 1994, striking Cairo teachers went out on Nov. 17 and remained on strike for 24 school days through the Christmas holidays.

This new, one-year deal means the entire package will have to be renegotiated again next year. Teachers union leaders said they were not close to striking this time. President Ron Newell of the CTA, said money was never the issue. He said teachers wanted to preserve their "longevity increases" as they advanced on the salary schedule based on years of experience.

The board had previously voted to freeze salaries and deny teachers the step increases in salaries. When the board finally agreed to pick up these automatic increases, Newell said the agreement quickly fell into place.

Teachers had sought a three-year contract this time that included a pay hike on top of the automatic, or "step" increases based on longevity. The board, however, held the line on a one-year deal.

It was good to see there was no repeat of the disruption of two years ago. The all-too-frequent spectacle is a reminder of why we don't want collecitve bargaining for public employees in Missouri, as they do in Illinois and in so many other high-cost, high-tax states.