HB 128 deals with student safety. It requires public school employees to provide to the school district written notice of an impending strike no less than 72 hours prior to an action.

Current labor regulations allow public school employees to strike without prior warning to the school district. Previous regulations required advance notice of an impending strike (8 AAC 97.300. STRIKE VOTE.) These requirements were deleted from regulations in May 2002. HB 128 does no more than provide a provision requiring advance notice. It is prudent to now place these regulations into statute.

A 72-hour written notice provides a very important function. It allows school staff to proactively alert parents to a possible school closure. Without this provision many students en route to school could arrive to near-empty buildings; buses may not arrive to pick up waiting students at intersections; and parents would travel to work unaware of possible risks to their child's safety.

Even though schools could remain open with a reduction in staffing, student oversight and accountability would prove impractical. Parents working outside the general area, may not receive any notice of school closure or cancellation. School districts may not have any other choice than to send children home to houses void of adult supervision. Please note that our schools are tasked with caring for fragile children who may be medically, emotionally, or behaviorally compromised and who require the care of professional staff, sometimes every single hour of their school day.

Morally, ethically, and professionally, school district personnel are responsible for the safety and well-being of our students. In sum, HB 128 would protect parents' reasonable expectation that schools provide a safe learning environment for children; that children are supervised under the appropriate student-teacher staffing ratio; and that timely notice is given of any possible school closure or disruption. Ultimately, this bill would protect our children from any harm and the district from liability due to a district's inability to forewarn parents of a labor action.

Last Updated: 04-05-03

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