Teachers in Jersey City Strike for Justice
Teachers in Jeresy City went on strike on Friday, March 16th over the rising cost of health insurance and an expired contract. They have had petitions, but when all failed, a strike was called on the night of March 15th. This was the first strike that has occured since 1998. All public schools were forced to announce a half day.
The Jersey City Education Association teachers have been working on an expired contract since September 1st, and are demanding for lower health care costs. On June 28, 2011, Governer Chris Christe signed PL 2011 Chapter 78. This law reduced the take-home pay of pubic-employees.
A 53-year-old physical education teacher at McNair told The Jersey Journal “I’ve been in the system for 20 years and I’m finally making a decent salary and now I’m paying $1,400 a month for premiums.”
Teachers were outside the schools on strike with posters and signs to fight for justice. Drivers were honking their horn in agreement, and students were joining the strike. Students were getting irritated and started to lash out. Some kids started to trash up classrooms and even run out of classes. This strike was basically a domino effect; it not only caused problems for students but everyday people. There was a lot of traffic, and it was hard for people to travel with the strike.
Hudson County Superior Court Judge Barry P. Sarkisian ordered teachers to return to work on Monday, March 19th. He declared that a New Jersey law bans them public union workers to go on strike again. There was a 13 hour negotiation on what will happen to the contract. The Jersey City Education Association and the Jersey City Board of Education have reached an agreement on a contract which included quality, affordable health care and economic security.
Ron Greco, president of the Jersey City Education Association said that “the union should vote to ratify the agreement before April’s school board meeting.”
General Teacher Strike Photo.JPG [Photograph found in The Jersey Journal, Jersey City]. (2018, March 16). In P. Villanova (Author). Retrieved from http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2018/03/the_most_eye-catching_signs_from_the_jersey_city_t.html (Originally photographed 2018, March 16)
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2018/03/judge_orders_jersey_city_teachers_to_end_strike.html
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/hudson/2018/03/19/jersey-city-teachers-strike-ends/439453002/
