Does the HSTA Standoff Set a Bad Precedent?

That’s one take on the conflict between Hawaii teachers and the governor.

Our educationblog reports:

Stateline reporter Melissa Maynard had a nice synopsis this week on where the conflict with the Hawaii teachers union stands and a bit on how we got to this point.

She talked to a Maui teacher who feels HSTA may have no other choice at this point but to call for a strike. 

There’s also some interesting stuff from a UH union guy who has concerns about the precedent the standoff could set. 

Other public sector unions are watching the drama unfold with trepidation for their own futures. But support for the teachers is far from universal among those unions. J.N. Musto, executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents the state’s public higher education faculty, says the Teachers Association’s legal strategy and tactics come with major risks for all public sector unions. He’s worried about a potential backlash in the legislature aimed at curtailing the scope of collective bargaining rights in Hawaii or putting an end to them altogether. Major changes to the scope and structure of collective bargaining in Hawaii would involve a vote of the people because they would require constitutional amendments.

Check out the full story here.