Guarded whispers of a teacher strike have risen to chatter in local school districts.
But presidents of local unions said Friday no votes have been taken on job actions, and some believe teacher frustration would be better funneled into lobbying efforts.Teachers across the state are angry over high class sizes and education funding at rock bottom in the nation. This year, the average teacher salary increase was about 1.9 percent, and some received nothing, said Elaine Tzourtzouklis, president of the Salt Lake Teachers Association.
Salt Lake teachers received a 3.25 percent increase but also lost money in insurance premium hikes. Talk of a strike has not come from Salt Lake teachers.
The state funded a 2.5 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit, the state's most basic education funding formula that contains teacher salaries. Much of that was gobbled by skyrocketing insurance premiums.
"It's time our governor and Legislature accept responsibility for public education. We can't continue to brag about the fact wespend less than any other state in the nation," said Debbie White, president of the Granite Education Association.
The GEA, which continues contract negotiations though school starts Monday, formed a crisis committee during the last legislative session because "I did have some schools who wanted to walk back then," White said.
A committee poll found 88 percent of Granite teachers would participate in job actions in one form or another, including working only to contract and striking.
But the committee has looked at ways to bend lawmakers' ears, such as letter-writing and school tours with the some 20 lawmakers in the district. Members hope those efforts will result in a larger increase in the weighted pupil unit.
Jordan Education Association executive director Laura Black says her organization wants to funnel teacher frustrations into legislative action.
Talk of a strike in Jordan is rising here and there, but not from the JEA, and the union has not called for a vote on such action, Black said. Union members over the next week will determine whether to accept a tentative contract for more than 1.7 percent salary increase and a nearly 0.8 increase in insurance benefits.
"They are so frustrated with the conditions they're going to start out with on Monday," Black said of teachers.
The school board has voted to increase taxes on a $100,000 house by about $50 and increase class size less than one student on average to help fund three new schools. Teachers have told the board the class-size hike will translate into much more than one student per class and that it hurts morale.
Jordan Superintendent Barry Newbold said he is taking strike rumors seriously and that the district is looking at its contingency plan for such an event.
"I have empathy for the education system and for its need for resources . . . and I certainly feel that there could be a greater commitment to education," which Newbold has heard will be forthcoming from the state. "(But) I always wonder what a strike will accomplish and whether or not that's the appropriate forum to make a statement."
The last statewide teacher strike came in September 1989 during a special legislative session.
Phyllis Sorensen, president of the 19,000-strong Utah Education Association, has alluded to the "S-word" in speeches in recent months but never said a strike is imminent.
Last April, at a UEA House of Delegates meeting, Sorensen said to "prepare for any eventuality," said UEA spokesman Mark Mickelsen. Some teachers interpreted that to mean they should consider saving money in case of a job action.
"UEA has put out a message to the governor that the teachers are fed up with education being on the bottom of their list every year and things have to improve, money has to get into education," Tzourtzouklis said. "If something doesn't happen in the next few years, I'm not saying when, there will be some type of job action."