LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from Oct. 16.
The Hempfield Education Association (HEA) has authorized a strike after taking a vote last night.
Teachers in the union have been working since June 30—over 100 days—without a current contract.
“We do not take this vote lightly because a strike is the last thing anybody wants,” said Tony Jannotta, a German and History teacher and HEA president, in a press release. “We want to engage in authentic bargaining that balances moving towards compromise while also maintaining the strong contract that generations before us fought hard to negotiate.”
Jannotta says the union and school district have been negotiating a new contract for over a year but have yet to come to an agreement. HEA members cite the district's unwillingness to compromise and a lack of competitive proposals in comparison to other contracts that have recently been settled around Lancaster County as just a few of the reasons the two parties have been unable to agree on terms.
Now that the HEA voted "overwhelmingly" to authorize the strike, the bargaining team can call a strike at any point as long as it gives schools a legally mandated 48-hour notice.
At this point, organizers are planning to walk off the job on Dec. 5.
The date was intentionally chosen to give union bargainers and school officials time to work out a fair and reasonable contract without conflict, according to Jannotta.
“The District’s decision to post confidential negotiations information, violate our bargaining ground rules, and notify us of their choice to disregard these rules only after they went public has caused unnecessary distraction from what should be our mutual goal: settling this contract so we can focus all our energy on educating our students," Jannotta said in a press release. "Despite our disappointment in the District’s choices, our teachers and staff continue to exemplify excellence in education, which is a strongly held expectation of this community.
"Throughout this process, we have been amazed by the community support as we fight for a fair contract that reflects the expectations of Hempfield, a district that many of us call home. The public support from parents, grandparents, our community, and students has helped to remind us of why we do this work, and we hope it inspires the District to demonstrate the same commitment to this community we all serve. Let’s work together to get this contract done.”