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Family to withdraw from district due to Tacoma teacher strike

by CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News

Bio | Email | Follow: @ChrisDaniels5

KING5.com

Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:15 PM

Updated Tuesday, Sep 20 at 11:21 PM

TACOMA , Wash. -- Tacoma teachers have been on the picket lines since last Tuesday, and for one family that's already enough.

The Benthein sisters, Linnea, Skye, Autumn and Topanga, all miss the classroom. Their father, Michael, says it's been tough for him and his wife to deal with.

But after watching the drama of the last week, including a picket line confrontation, and more than one courtroom showdown, he's ready to move the kids to another school district.

"Transferring them over to Orting because it doesn't look like there is an end in sight," said Micheal. "How long is this going to go on?"

It's a bittersweet decision for his family, but he says one that will benefit their future education in this situation.

"It's a better idea to go to a new school but then again, we would lose most of our old friends...which would upset me," said 10-year-old Autumn.

Tacoma Public Schools spokesperson Dan Voelpel says only a handful, possibly 10 out of the 28,000 students in the district, have filed for withdrawal because of the strike.

The Tacoma Education Association says the union remains on strike in order to negotiate teacher reassignment, class size, and salaries.

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 15 of 16

j1102 said on September 21, 2011 at 6:20 PM

Could King5 elaborate a bit more on why they are going all the way to Orting? Does one of the parents work in Orting? Are they going to wait around in Orting while their kids of different ages get out at different times? If they have a job in Orting and get laid off will they still be able to send their kids to Orting schools? Orting is atleast 30 minutes from Tacoma.

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lindac66 said on September 21, 2011 at 5:34 PM

Shame on the Tacoma teachers! With our neighbors being layed off and taking pay CUTS, the teachers union has some nerve holding student and parents hostage with this strike. I would like the School District to fire the teachers and enforce the Judge's order to work, with heavy fines and criminal records for those who break the law. Teachers: Grow up and be glad you have a job. If the rest us didn't show up for work , or tell our boss we have demands and would not work unless we get our way ... we'd be fired, so why should union workers get to threaten their employer? I'm fed up and don't want my tax dollars paying saleries to these striking teachers. Maybe I can tell the Pierce County Auditor that I'll only pay my taxes if I'm satisfied with all the services I'm paying for... sounds crazy doesn't it?

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spring55 said on September 21, 2011 at 2:11 PM

The teachers appear to have violated their contracts, at which time the contracts may be null and void. In that case, the district could presumably fire them all and rehire those they choose. This might be an excellent opportunity for the district to get rid of some dead wood and they could then reassign the teachers to whatever school they think would be in the students' best interests. The teachers should also be fined heavily for ignoring a Court Order.

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realitychk said on September 21, 2011 at 2:06 PM

@crzyppl: plain and simple. Union supported Gestapo tactics. Fear of reprisal after the strike is settled. The lowest end of this extortion is the thugs who physically threaten / harass or really do destroy property as with the Longshoremen strike. The least violent but more likely action is the mob mentality of shunning and/or making life miserable for months or years to come for those who are brave enough to cross the line and be compliant legally as well as ethically and morally. I'd cross the line because I am anti-terrorist/union. I don't care if you like me. You don't pay my bills and your employer doesn't have a say in this battle. These teachers have apparently forgotten that their employer, is NOT the union, not the school district..it is the taxpayers. The teachers are biting the hand that feeds them again and again and again. When we private sectors workers catch a break then maybe our employees will as well.

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crzyppl said on September 21, 2011 at 12:13 PM

How is it that the union "makes" the teachers strike? Over 80% of the teachers VOTED to go on strike. The union may recommend and/or encourage the teachers to strike, but the decision is that of each individual teacher in the end.

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bestideayet said on September 21, 2011 at 10:56 AM

I just found out that most teachers usually don't want to strike, but the UNION makes them. I think most unions SUCK!

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brasslass61 said on September 21, 2011 at 8:13 AM

I feel for the teachers but enough is enough. Most new teachers make more than I do after 10 years of working at the same place in the medical field. If it goes another week then we will probably look at withdrawing and moving my grandson to another district. All of us are biting the bullet, Many where I work have either taken a payCUT to keep their jobs or been laid off. I"d say lets get back to school and negotiate as it goes or better yett the next contract!

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unhappy said on September 21, 2011 at 6:11 AM

The state is broke, we're closing prisons and letting violent and sexual offenders run free and these people strike for more money..... FIRE EVERYONE OF THEM..... Tacoma ranks one of the lowest in the state for education........

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stonetrails said on September 21, 2011 at 5:47 AM

stonetrails avatar

@jackwongn - LMAO, "world-class education". Ya, public education in America, ya, that's what I call "world class". You're a funny guy!----------It's about money, and I don't care how much the teachers pretend it's not. It's about money, it's always about money. If it was not about money, then American children would be, and would always have been, receiving that "world-class" education you're hallucinating about.--------------- Fire the teachers, fire them all, fire them now.

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subaru said on September 21, 2011 at 4:15 AM

over 1 week of school might also might be alot to catch up the others will be ahead of your kids think about that also !

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subaru said on September 21, 2011 at 4:10 AM

this is a story because these people only waited a week whooptydo !!!!!

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subaru said on September 21, 2011 at 4:09 AM

its only been a week

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rainierrider said on September 21, 2011 at 2:11 AM

I completely support the Tacoma teachers. Whether "olynutritionist" or "jesse" below understand that this "didn't just happen yesterday", issues have to be addressed, bad economy or not. It's not even a benefits package issue to start with. With the comments made by Jesse or Olynutritionist, I would LOVE to know how the government supports them. Any of us in the same boat, whether not getting paid by an insurance company for our clients, or a retired person not getting their Medicaid/Medicare, we'd stand our ground. Tacoma schools had a chance to deal with this prior to the strike, and they chose not too. Hard to complain what actions other people take when you don't have a "clean house" yourself. I'm lucky my job pays me well and treats me good. Not everyone gets to have that, and sometimes they have to demand it.

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jackwong said on September 21, 2011 at 1:25 AM

It's a shame this family is not standing behind the teachers who are fighting for their kids to have a better, world-class education.

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olynutritionist said on September 21, 2011 at 1:24 AM

It is illegal for teachers to go on strike and funny how it always happens at the best time to cause everyone else problems - and the legal folks let them get away with it almost every year. Fire them. There is an option called Homeschooling and it's legal in Washington State.

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Jesse said on September 21, 2011 at 12:44 AM

This teachers strike is a very selfish act. EVERYONE is in the bad-economy boat. This strike is affecting tens of thousands of students and families. And for what? The teachers don't like the class sizes? Not getting paid enough? It's the same situation at nearly every school in this country. But every teacher can't just go on strike because of it. It's ridiculous. My former job working in Air Traffic Control with the FAA prohibited striking by LAW. Even so, many controllers did just that back in 1981. Guess what? Reagan fired them all! And for good reason. These teachers need to get back to work and take up their disagreements in a more professional manner.

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