Strike enters third week

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

The teachers' strike drags into its third full week today and schools chief Paul LeMahieu said the system is now crossing the line "to some very long-term damage."

Since Saturday morning, the two sides have appeared to be tantalizingly close to an agreement. Only one issue remains — money.

But teachers' hopes of returning to school today were dashed as the state and union remained unable to break the deadlock. No official talks were conducted yesterday, but the union said it hopes to sit down again with the state this afternoon.

Schools remain closed across the state, and it now appears they won't reopen for students until Thursday at the earliest. The strike is becoming more of a hardship on teachers and families as it enters its 19th day.

"We're up against a wall where real damage of a number of different types is a likely prospect," LeMahieu said last night as another day passed with no deal. "I'm worried that we're now crossing the line, on one hand, the line where people possibly become more set in their positions and also where people's frustrations come much closer to the surface and show every prospect of lasting a very long, long time."

Optimistic that a deal would be struck this weekend, the Department of Education had begun planning how to reopen schools as early as tomorrow. One plan involved canceling field trips to help classes catch-up on lost time.

"But I think we're now at a point where even doing that doesn't let you catch up," LeMahieu said. "No matter which way you cut it, there's educational loss in the year."

If the two sides do not end the bitter labor dispute today, they risk federal court intervention.

U.S. District Judge David Ezra has scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m. tomorrow and will consider appointing a receiver over the school system to restore special education services cut off by the strike.

Ezra has the power to do so under the Felix consent decree, which orders the state to improve special-education services. Those involved with the Felix case say the strike already has made it unlikely the state will meet the December deadline to improve services as required by the Felix decree.

After hours of marathon-talks last week, the two sides appeared to be painstakingly close to a deal.

Other than the money issue, all the questions of how to structure the package, who should get money and in which year, have been resolved.

After butting heads on the issue of retroactive pay, the sides have agreed instead to a retention bonus that will give teachers a one time payment in addition to raises in the last two years of the four-year contract. The bonus costs the state less because it is not built into the base salary, but it would add into teacher retirement benefits.

Talks appeared to be getting close as the parties met with the governor Saturday. He presented them with a new, informal offer and the sides have been communicating via telephone since then.

"The fact that the parties aren't meeting face-to-face doesn't mean there isn't negotiations activity going on," said Hawaii State Teachers Association Executive Director Joan Husted, who believes they are down to "crunch time."

"Everyone is cognizant that the intervention of the federal court in some size, shape or form will make bargaining more difficult," Husted said. "And while we are perfectly willing to take on that eventuality if it happens, we would prefer to get it settled now and get schools open and kids back to school."

If a deal is reached today, teachers would vote to ratify the contract tomorrow.

The strike has now lasted as long as the 1973 walkout: 19 days. Students were out of school for 13 of those days. Tomorrow marks the 13th day of missed school for this strike.

"I'm running into more and more people who just want to see it ended," LeMahieu said. "I agree with them completely."