Reference no: EM132386577

The public school teachers in Madison, Wisconsin have been teaching without a pay contract for 3 years. The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) is the education public-sector trade union that represents the interests of teachers, education professionals and staff. With the ratification of its members, WEAC agreed to a one-year pass on getting pay raises during the 2015 3 year contract talks to help the city and county to save money to meet its strained budget. Although raises for the teachers should have been addressed in 2016, it was not, and now it has been 6 years since their pay has increased.

The city has experienced a boon in good paying manufacturing jobs in the past couple of years that has resulted in more families and people moving into the city and the county. This had resulted in increased tax revenues for the city and more money in the city coffers. What has also increased is the size of public school classes, now averaging 36 students per class despite the optimal size of 18 and a maximum of 25 students. Additionally, supplies and materials have not kept up with the growth of the student body in the city and the county. Teachers are strained evermore because more teachers have not been hired to meet the need for more classes.

The teachers are threatening to strike if these problems are not addressed soon. What is more, the school and city administration knows that parents and students will back the teachers all the way. "Political heads will role", so to speak, unless something is done---and quickly.

You are the school superintendent and you have called an emergency meeting with your staff and legal team to discuss this developing situation. What are your options? What approach will you and your team use to address this problem, and why?