Editor:
To the person who can explain this to me, I read the ((Dec. 10) article detailing the “negotiations” between the Sweet Home School District and the Sweet Home teachers union; and I would like some further clarification.
The first point of contention is, of course, wages. What is wrong with a 3.2 percent increase across the board? In this economic climate, anybody that isn’t for wage increases of between 2.5 percent and 3.2 percent for the next four years needs to be drug tested.
Let’s talk about health care. If the teachers union can show that they are, in fact, receiving less support in their health care needs than the majority of the people of this community, then they would have something to complain about. That will not happen.
The Constitution of the United States of America outlines the basic principles of “due process” in the Fifth and 14th amendments, and I can see no “just cause” to let lawyers twist this to suit them.
Professional development, I had to read this several times to make sure that I had this one right.
The district is supposed to be responsible for paying for schooling for the teachers so after they’ve completed it the district will be obligated to pay more for these highly trained professionals. The biggest problem I see with this is that we have no way of measuring if these highly trained professionals are any more effective than our average professionals.
If anyone from the teachers union wouldn’t be too embarrassed, I would like to see them take stock of this community, this county, this state, and reconcile that with their expectations.
All I see is, “Want, Want, Want, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.”
Brandy S. James
Sweet Home