Moses Lake may suspend health insurance, hire replacements if teachers strike

(The Center Square) – As teachers prepare to strike, the Moses Lake School Board moved Thursday to authorize the district to hire temporary replacements and freeze health insurance for any participants.

The Moses Lake Educators Association voted last week to strike at a date to be determined if it doesn’t reach an agreement with the Moses Lake School District by Nov. 28. The last union contract expired at the end of August, more than 80 days ago, leaving MLSD teachers without representation for months.

The resolution that the board approved Thursday called MLEA’s deadline “arbitrary” and “illegal.” State law prohibits public school employees from striking, but doesn’t specify penalties. Instead, MLSD would have to obtain a court order and hold the teachers and union in contempt if they refused to comply.

“The residents of the District and the school-age children in the community will be irreparably injured through the action of [MLEA] and its constituents,” according to the resolution, “[MLSD] is committed to bargaining with [MLEA] and is hopeful that a strike will be avoided.”

The officials approved the resolution after a brief explanation without any discussion. Superintendent Carol Lewis said it authorizes her to do a few things, the first being the ability to suspend policies that may limit MLSD operations under a strike. The provision also requires MLSD to promptly notify MLEA.

After MLEA voted to strike last week, district officials issued a news release explaining that they may temporarily suspend classes if that were to occur. The board’s resolution authorizes Lewis to close any school facilities and to limit teachers participating in the strike from accessing any district buildings.

“The Superintendent of the District is directed to seek legal assistance from the proper authorities to have removed from District property and District buildings any person whose presence thereon is not authorized during the period of withholding services,” according to the resolution approved Thursday.

The next clause authorizes Lewis to suspend payments from the district for health insurance premiums for anyone participating in the strike. The resolution also requires those requesting sick leave to obtain a doctor’s “certificate of illness,” or they’ll go without pay and face discipline for “unauthorized leave.”

“Unauthorized leave shall constitute a breach of contract and may result in the initiation of discharge procedures or other disciplinary action,” according to the resolution. “Unauthorized leave may include but is not limited to collective refusal to provide service, unauthorized use of sick leave, unauthorized use of other leave benefits, non-attendance at required meetings and failure to perform supervisory functions at school-sponsored activities when such supervisory functions are [contractually] required.”

Should teachers walk out next month, Lewis could also temporarily replace them “for as long as may be necessary.” The resolution wraps up by authorizing the district to take all lawful steps available to end the strike, including filing lawsuits against MLEA and individual teachers refusing to come to class.

According to several local media reports, the Public School Employees of Moses Lake, another union representing classified employees, announced that it would not take a position on the looming strike.

Many of the issues leading up to this were the result of MLSD’s financial crisis following back-to-back levy failures last year. They eventually passed a new levy last February, but only after MLSD realized a $20 million deficit that led the board to lay off more than 250 people, including over 100 MLEA teachers.

MLSD also laid off dozens of classified employees, with the remainder now hoping to avoid this crisis.

The district cut daily elementary instructional time by 30 minutes, specialist programs and more. The new levy won’t bring in any money until next year, so MLSD is trying to save money anywhere it can.

MLEA President Heather Whittall did not respond to a request for comment before publishing on Friday.

“No dates have been decided concerning the potential strike,” MLEA posted on Facebook after 90% of its members voted on Nov. 13 to strike. “Based on what happens at the table over the next weeks the MLEA Executive Board has our authorization to [call the] strike and determine when it would begin.”