Reynoldsburg Teachers' Union Issues Strike Notice

Following a breakdown in contract negotiations, Reynoldsburg school teachers say they will strike. The Reynoldsburg Education Association issued a ten-day strike notice which begins a countdown toward a work stoppage September 19th. REA spokeswoman Kathy Evans said in a statement the board of education and Superintendent Tina Thomas-Manning have refused to hear the union’s concerns about class size caps and teacher turnover. Evans said teachers have no choice but to strike. Thomas-Manning said in a statement the district hopes to reach a settlement before the strike deadline. Teachers rejected the board of education’s latest contract offer by a 97 percent margin Sunday night. Reynoldsburg employs about 350 teachers. They have been working under an expired contract since the beginning of the new school year. The Reynoldsburg board of education will meet this week to adopt a strike resolution to keep schools open in the event of a strike. The district hired a firm to recruit substitute teachers in the event teachers strike. A federal mediator has failed to bring the two sides to agreement.