The Middletown Teachers' Strike

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the format of the standards set by a union and decisions made by it. It focuses on the Middletown teachers' strike situation, which occurred following a short moratorium on contract negotiations to resolve community conflicts created by the 9/11 attacks. The paper discusses the mediation option in cases such as this one and the bargaining timing of this event.

From the Paper:

"For both sides the choice to resume negotiations just hours after the moratorium ended likely backfired. The Judge in the contempt situation exacerbated the situation by creating martyrs over what turned out to be a $59,000 savings for the community, which in the scope of labor costs is miniscule and yet 43 teachers spent from 4days to a week in jail, away from their students and their families, unnecessarily. The public and the legal system obviously felt strongly that the situation needed to be resolved, with teachers in classrooms as the wake of the 9/11 situation demanded that students have a structured and calm environment of support to help them deal with the events which had occurred in New York and elsewhere. (though this is not mentioned in the articles) Both sides made a distinct error as one created martyrs and the other became martyrs over a relatively limited change in a time when the community needed them to agree most."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hanley, R. Judge Jails 43 More as Teachers Defy an Order. The New York Times, December, 5, 2001, p. D5
• Hanley, R. Teachers' Strike Grows Angrier, But Support of Residents Is Elusive. The New York Times, December 6, 2001, p. D1
• Hanley, R. Strike Ends Without Deal for Teachers. The New York Times, December, 8, 2001, p. D1

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