MEA Votes

From www.mea.org:

Court orders good faith negotiations in Wayne-Westland
Teachers return to class on Friday

Thursday morning, a judge ruled that the Wayne-Westland school district must bargain in good faith with its teachers, who have been walking the picket lines since Monday in an effort to settle a fair and equitable contract that includes a class size reduction.

Judge Kathleen McDonald ordered that the district must not take any disciplinary action against the teachers, that the teachers must report back to work, and that the parties must bargain in good faith. The court will retain jurisdiction over the bargaining until a successor agreement is reached, and the teachers will work under the terms of the current contract. As a result, the teachers will be returning to classrooms on Friday morning, Oct. 10.

“The purpose of the work stoppage was to put the board on notice and make the community aware of the egregious and illegal behavior of the board’s bargaining team. We accomplished that today,” said Nancy Strachan, president of Wayne-Westland Education Association.

The WWEA and the school district were in court this morning for a show cause hearing on a claim for injunctive relief brought by a parent. Judge McDonald ruled after hearing the parent’s complaint and cross-claims by both the union and the district.

Throughout the week, the community has overwhelmingly supported the teachers. Parents, local business owners and students joined Wayne-Westland teachers on the picket lines, as well as at a rally and school board meeting on Tuesday night. They also provided food and water to picketers as a sign of their support.

The WWEA will comply with Judge McDonald’s order and the teachers look forward to returning to the classroom. The union continues to be vigilant in working toward a fair and equitable contract for the teachers.