I thought that I would post a couple of insights that I took away from the Wayne-Westland strike last week. I had the opportunity to help with the picket lines at John Glenn High School on Thursday. Ervin was there from Sunday through Tuesday morning; I am sure that he has lots more to share than me.
I arrived at the picket lines at 6:50 in the morning with another UniServ Director. Teachers were out there picketing even though the shift didn't start until 7:00. Every teacher shared with me one consistent message: smaller class sizes for their students (yes, I know, health insurance was also there but teachers talked about class sizes; look at their last proposal before the strike). Throughout my time that morning on the picket line, it was clear that this message resonated with the community. Cars honked in support, parents brought coffee and shared words of encouragement, and students walked the picket lines. I watched as the media interviewed students and these students shared the same message: there are too many students in a class. What was remarkable was that the students recognized (and shared) that the effectiveness of teachers was hindered by these large numbers.
Message? We are bombarded everyday with competing messages. The election is a perfect example but let's examine W-W's message. The message they shared connected teachers to the community and to their students. A well-defined message is powerful. A consistent message is powerful. And it is up to us to define the message. As I think about the bargaining that takes place in lots of areas, we let the District define the message. We need to learn this lesson from W-W. W-W's message was undeniable; it's consistency and definition drownded out the Board's message. (In fact, I never even heard what the Board's message was!) Other parties couldn't hijack the message because the teachers shared the message with other stakeholders (students, parents, and the community). Application to us? It is time for us as bargainers and local leaders to take back the message. We need to define and craft a message. What are the issues that we are facing in our own locals? How do these issues impact our members and the other stakeholders in the education environment? Good contracts mean more than salary and benefits; it is also the working conditions that our members face everyday. Positive working conditions translates into positive learning environments. What is our message? W-W's message didn't suddenly appear; I believe that it reflected the core values of their association. This message took time to develop. As time passed, this message was shared and adopted by the members. In other words, it didn't happen over night...your message will take time to develop.
The other thing that impressed me was the solidarity of the membership. They supported each other. These members put their individual jobs on the line and stood as one. This was evident at the membership meeting they had at John Glen High Thursday afternoon. By this time, the judge had granted an injunction requiring the teachers to return to work. However, the injunction also stopped the Board from taking disciplinary action. The same injunction ordered that nothing could be imposed and kept the jurisdiction with the judge to ensure compliance by both parties. As over 800 teachers gathered, there was an overpowering sense of community and commonality. While they knew that this wasn't the end, they stood in the lawn as one. As their president shared the news to the members, you could see and feel the power that this group had. It was one of those goose bump kind of moments.
So these are a couple of my thoughts on W-W experience. I will be posting more in the next couple of days.
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