Teachers gain supporters

By Tanya Bricking
Advertiser Staff Writer

Angela Meyer wore a dress and new shoes to the picket line at her third-grade daughter's school yesterday and strapped on a sign reading: "Parents on strike too."

Rosemary Niide and Emelita Soria, teachers at Farrington High, accept a curbside offer of pizza from supporters. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"We've only had three thumbs-down and about 200,000 horns honking," Meyer said. "We're saying: 'Give 'em the money.' "

On the day a statewide teachers strike over deadlocked salary negotiations kept 180,000 public-school children and 42,000 University of Hawai'i students out of classrooms, she was one of the hundreds of parents supporting teachers.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Meyer said. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm sticking with it."

From the curb outside Keolu Elementary, where parents stopped by with food and drinks for the strikers, to the similar scenes at schools across the Islands, all indications pointed to Day 1 of the teachers' strike being in favor of the teachers.

It's so teacher-supportive, it's "even to the point of hearing, 'I don't mind if my taxes go up,' " Honolulu psychologist Carol Wood said. "But most people are expecting a two-day strike."

Public perception of the strikes will be crucial, especially early on, said Gary Rhoades, director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona.

"Public opinion has an impact on how strikes ultimately get resolved," he said. "If in Hawai'i there is a larger sentiment in favor of labor unions, then it's more likely that pressure will be brought to bear on the governor to get reasonable. It also depends on how sustained the strike is and what kind of other political pressure is brought to bear on the teachers and the faculty."

For a quarter to about half of the public, it probably will be a matter of weeks before frustrated and inconvenienced people become embittered against striking teachers, said David James Mikonczyk, a Honolulu workers' compensation and labor lawyer.

So far, with three public-school children old enough to take care of themselves, Sharon Westfall, a parent in Pa'ia, Maui, is sympathizing with the teachers. But as a moderator for soc.culture.hawaii, an Internet news group, she already is hearing comments about teachers being "too greedy."

"That side seems to be people who don't have kids," she said.

Alvin Toda, a retired engineer in Pearl City and occasional substitute teacher, said it's time for teachers to work on intense nonwage negotiations, even if the state won't budge on money.

"They do need to settle pretty soon or the parents or the courts are going to step into it," said Toda, who held signs with picketing teachers during the 1973 strike. "The longer it goes, the worse off it will be for the teachers."

For now, parents seem to be overwhelmingly sympathetic.

"I feel sorry for the teachers; I see firsthand how hard they work," said parent Gina Karras of Hau'ula, who said she's paying $200 a week for childcare for her daughter during the strike. "They really deserve a raise; I doubt they are going to get what they are asking for. I have complete sympathy for them. Although 20 days from now it may be a different story, once our savings is depleted."

Teachers are preparing for a long strike, Hawaii State Teachers Association Executive Director Joan Husted said.

"I cannot walk into Longs or Safeway or Times or Foodland without someone saying, 'We're with you!' " Husted said. She knows those moments may be fleeting, and she dreads the prospect of support turning to frustration.

"We would hope that we would settle before it gets to that."

Advertiser staff writers Jennifer Hiller and Walter Wright contributed to this story.