For the first time in forty years Kansas City teachers are working without a contract.

What does this mean to a teacher? It means that administrators have all the power, that principals can revise the rules at moment’s notice, with no input from teachers. It means that a teacher can be disciplined and even suspended without the contractual right to file a grievance. One teacher told me, “They’ve forgotten what we do. They’ve forgotten what we’re here for. Would you want to send your kids to someone every day who was frustrated, worried about their job, with no stability?”

When the School Board backed up Superintendent John Martin’s request to suspend the terms of the expired contract, they gave him a free pass to impose terms without negotiating with the teachers and to wipe out decades of collaborative work between administration and teachers in shaping the terms on which education is done in the district.

Since then Martin has thrown good faith bargaining in the dumpster. First he implemented two very unpopular provisions in the middle of negotiations – a move which is illegal in the private sector. Now he’s making the teachers fight for many provision in the contract all over again while sitting on the sidelines with veto power over every single item his own negotiators agree to at the table.

In most labor-management negotiations, both union and management negotiators typically sign off on what’s called “tentative agreements” (TAs) whenever they concur on a provision. Agreements are tentative pending final agreement on all issues. Typically both labor and management negotiators are empowered to initial a TA without having to get outside approval on each item because they may give on one and get on another, and because it slows the process down immensely if someone on the outside is calling the shots. When the two sides have done their work, they take the final proposal to their bosses for approval. In the school district’s case, the school board; in the union’s case the membership. Good faith negotiations depend on having negotiators at the table who are empowered to make a deal.

Judy Morgan, President of American Federation of Teachers Local 691, said she thought they were making some progress at the session the week before last when they agreed to a package of 25 items, but at last week’s session the union was told that each item had to be submitted as a separate T.A. for Martin to review. It wasn’t enough that his lawyer and the head of human resources had already verbally agreed. “At this rate, Morgan said, unless someone can move the process, I don’t know what will happen. Now we will have to build the whole contract from scratch.”

Meanwhile, school has started with some teachers losing 40 minutes of planning time while others still have it. Most principals so far seem to be holding off on their new right to make teachers stay after school for additional meetings. Each principal seems to be free to interpret the rules as he or she wishes. Of course, that’s why the union thinks it should have a contract in place.

Undaunted the teachers union is appealing to the community for support. On September 3 they held an evening prayer service attended by about forty-five ministers, teachers, parents, and community supporters in Gilham Park. The crowd sang and prayed for some resolution to the stand-off. Rev. Vernon Howard of the 2nd Baptist Church recalled former Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Emmett Thomas who was famous for intercepting opponents’ passes and scoring touchdowns for our side. He said, “We’re here tonight to make an interception. Hopelessness, powerlessness, ignorance, miseducation, illiteracy, violence and crime are trying to score another touchdown but tonight somebody is rising up and saying we’re going to make an interception. That’s why we’re here tonight to make an interception, to stop the enemy from scoring another point against the kids in our community.”

At the prayer service a student from Paseo High School named Sarah spoke. She said “I have teachers who have been there for fifteen plus years, and I respect them for that because I see the way some of the kids act, their behavior, and I know the teachers don’t get paid a lot. They must be doing it for the kids, and I really respect that. They teach me a lot of things I will use in my future and in my career. . .”

The union is organizing people to pack this week’s school board meeting once again. They’ve asked other unions to come. The Presidents of both the Kansas City Labor Council and the Tri-County Labor Council of Eastern Kansas will address the Board on behalf of organized labor in the metro area. It’s a sign of the high stakes in this battle for teachers, for public employees throughout the state of Missouri and for other unions that both Williams and Birks are joining together in support of the teachers.

They will rally at 6:15 pm on Wednesday September 10 at the school board meeting at 1211 McGee.