Westlake is in Crisis
We do not want to strike, but we will.
The teachers of Westlake love teaching. Engaging students in
meaningful learning is how we thrive. It is our passion and our lives. We
love working with our students each and every day. However the task of
teaching is becoming more difficult because of the environment in which we
work.
On Friday, April 29th The Westlake Board of Education served the
Westlake Teachers' Association with a Last Best and Final Offer. The fact that
board is no longer willing to negotiate with the teachers of Westlake, greatly
increases the likelihood of a strike. The teachers are outraged with the
decision made by the Board of Education.
Westlake teachers were once proud of the inclusive and collaborative
environment that defined our district. Teachers gave back $2.3 million in
salary and benefits over the last two concessionary contracts to demonstrate
their stake in the success of Westlake. Teachers reduced salaries by 2.5%,
salaries for teachers were also frozen with no compensation for experience.
Teachers also increased out of pocket expenditures for health care premiums
and prescription costs.
A culture and climate that is punitive and directionless has been
nourished in the district by its leaders and has been allowed to thrive. This
culture of fear permeates each building, seeps into each corner and is slowly
killing the standards of excellence in Westlake. As teachers we desperately
want the culture of excellence to return. We have tried to work within the
district, with district leadership behind the scenes, we have begged for a
climate that promotes collaboration and excellence at board meetings. We
have been denied.
We can remain silent no more. Our struggles are many, and one is
simple economics. Westlake has a $12 million reserve fund, yet claims that
it suffers from economic strife and hardship. In a recent budget adjustment
an additional $8 million of revenue has been added to the reserves over the
next 3 years; more money for the district. Yet the constant claim from the
district is that there is no money for salaries. OAPSE was given a raise in
their recent negotiations and administrators have also received significant
salary increases. Why not teachers?

 For the teachers, negotiations have stalled. A strike is now looming
and overshadows all that we do. Westlake teachers would like to return to
the salary schedule from four years ago, in 2012, without the inclusion of
significant financial concessions that would make this small salary increase
an actual pay cut . We would like to attract and keep the best and brightest
to our ranks, but several of our surrounding districts are surpassing us in
salary. We would like the district to show through their actions that the
sacrifices the teachers of Westlake have made with multiple concessionary
contracts have been appreciated and respected.
Our message is simple. It is about respect, respect for the teachers of
Westlake and respect for the students we serve. We hope that the teachers
can reach an agreement with the board that allows teachers to take care of
the financial needs of their own families as well as the educational needs of
the children of Westlake. It would be unfortunate if the current board and
administrative leadership in Westlake destroys the collaborative and
excellent environment that has always been the hallmark of this district.
We do not want to strike, but we will. We have sacrificed to take care
of the needs of our Westlake children, now must take care of the needs of
our own families. We sincerely hope the Board of Education of Westlake will
return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith before it is too late.

Sincerely,
Patrick McMorrow - WTA President and negotiating team member
Lela Bakos - WTA Vice President and negotiating team member
Paul Roth - WTA negotiating team member
Amy Butcher - WTA negotiating team member
Jen Williams - WTA Crisis Committee Chair
Loretta Tindall - WTA Crisis Communications Chair