BURLINGTON EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

PRESS RELEASE

For Information:
Fran Brock, BEA President
802.324.7496 (cell)

September 7, 2017

For Immediate Release

Burlington Teachers Vote to Strike Wednesday

Burlington Education Association members urge board to return to table to avert disruption of
school year
BURLINGTON The members of the Burlington Education Association today overwhelmingly voted to
strike beginning Wednesday if the citys school board fails to return to the bargaining table and reach a
contract settlement.
Moments ago, my fellow members and I voted to authorize a strike beginning on September 13 if the
board fails to come back to the table and stay there until we reach an agreement for a contract covering
this school year, said Fran Brock, a Burlington High School history teacher who serves as BEA president.

We are done standing by while more than 100 of our colleagues have left the district over the last three
years. We are done standing by while the board seeks to DECREASE the amount of time and attention
we can devote to individual students, she said. We are done standing by while a shrinking percentage
of the districts budgets goes to student instruction. And we are done standing by while this board
prefers condescension over collaboration.

Last week, the Burlington School Board became only the seventh statewide to ever impose terms of
employment more than once. And, like they did last year, the board voted to end negotiations and
impose almost immediately after the contract expired.

The way in which the board chose to impose employment conditions was hasty. The terms they
imposed were not shared with building administrators never mind the teachers for days; we were all
told to check the districts website, Brock said. This, as you may expect, made the opening days of
school much more chaotic than they needed to be.

Brock implored the board to rescind its imposition and rejoin teachers at the bargaining table. Call us,
and well get back to work, she said. We can get a contract agreement hammered out if the board is
willing to do the hard work. We dont want to strike; no one ever does. What we want is for this school
board to recognize our determination for a contract that works to keep the very best teachers so our
citys students can thrive.
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(Editors: Below are Fran Brocks remarks as prepared for delivery)

Good afternoon. Im Fran Brock, a history teacher here at Burlington High School who is proud to serve
as the president of the Burlington Education Association.
Moments ago, my fellow members and I voted to authorize a strike beginning on September 13 if the
board fails to come back to the table and stay there until we reach an agreement for a contract covering
this school year.
We do not take this action lightly, but, given the boards haste in imposing terms of employment less
than an hour after our contract expired last week, we want them to know how resolved and united we
are in our quest for a contract that attracts and retains the best for Burlingtons students.
We are done standing by while more than 100 of our colleagues have left the district over the last three
years. We are done standing by while the board seeks to DECREASE the amount of time and attention
we can devote to individual students. We are done standing by while a shrinking percentage of the
districts budgets goes to student instruction. And we are done standing by while this board prefers
condescension over collaboration.
The board, of course, has the legal right to cease bargaining and impose terms of employment. But it is
never the way to get to an agreement, and it is no way to treat the dedicated women and men who
devote their professional lives to the students of this city.

Indeed, the way in which this board voted to impose terms of employment was simply disrespectful. The
terms they imposed were not shared with building administrators never mind with the teachers for
days; we all were told to check the districts website. This, as you may expect, made the opening days of
school much more chaotic than they needed to be.
Let me be clear: We were making progress at the table. We were compromising, as was the board
despite their outright rejection of the work of a neutral fact-finder. Only six other boards have chosen to
impose employment terms on their educators more than once. And no other board has ever voted as
this one did twice to impose at the earliest possible time.

We will not shy away from our quest for a contract that attracts and retains the best for Burlingtons
students, and that starts with ensuring fair compensation to compel teachers to come and stay here. We
need a contract that respects our professionalism, our ability to work outside of formal class time
with students who crave and deserve the one-on-one attention we know we need to give if the district
is to succeed at narrowing the achievement gap.

We dont want to strike; no one ever does. What we want is for this school board to recognize our
determination for a contract that works to keep the very best teachers so our citys children can thrive.

On behalf of Burlingtons teaching staff, I urge the board to take this opportunity prevent any further
disruption in our school year. Call us, and well get back to work. We can get a contract agreement
hammered out if the board is willing to do the hard work.
Thank you.

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