PRINTER'S NO. 1591
No. 1370 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY LANGTRY, GAMBLE, FARGO, HECKLER, SCHEETZ, GLADECK, GODSHALL, NAHILL, BURD, FOX, NAILOR, CLYMER, BARLEY, HERSHEY, WILSON, DISTLER, HOWLETT, E. Z. TAYLOR, LEE AND FLICK, MAY 1, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MAY 1, 1989
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An 2 act relating to the public school system, including certain 3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial 4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the 5 laws relating thereto," setting forth public policy relating 6 to strikes; and providing for assessments. 7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 8 hereby enacts as follows: 9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known 10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a 11 section to read: 12 Section 1134. Public Policy Relating to Strikes; 13 Assessments.--(a) The Constitution of the Commonwealth requires 14 the General Assembly to provide for a thorough and efficient 15 system of public education. Existing law requires one hundred 16 eighty (180) days of instruction each year as established by the 17 school calendar. The scheduled one hundred eighty (180) days of 18 instruction are lost or rescheduled when a strike occurs. Days 19 lost or rescheduled are made up as much as possible by canceling
1 scheduled vacation days, holidays, and/or extending the school 2 year resulting in severe disruption of the educational process 3 and family life. Guarantees for the protection of the public 4 health, safety and welfare are not kept inviolate where 5 instructional days are lost or rescheduled. Therefore, it is the 6 intent of the General Assembly that equal financial assessments 7 be imposed on those responsible for strike disruptions. 8 (b) Whenever an instructional day, in accordance with the 9 officially adopted original calendar of instructional days 10 approved by the board of directors, is lost or rescheduled as 11 the result of a strike, each employe who participates in the 12 strike shall be assessed a sum equal to one one-hundred- 13 eightieth (1/180) of that year's annual salary or wages for each 14 day of the strike. The school district shall be assessed by the 15 Commonwealth a sum equal to the total daily wages or salaries of 16 the striking employes from its Equalized Subsidy for Basic 17 Education (ESBE) payments calculated under Article XXV of this 18 act. In the case of an intermediate unit or area vocational- 19 technical school, the respective agency shall be assessed a sum 20 equal to the total daily wages or salaries of the striking 21 employes. This constituent districts of the respective agency 22 shall have a sum proportionate to the district's percentage of 23 enrollment deducted from the Equalized Subsidy for Basic 24 Education (ESBE) as provided for in Article XXV of this act. The 25 assessment paid by the employer shall not exceed the total 26 amount of annual subsidies due. The school district shall 27 deduct, in equal installments over the remaining pay periods, 28 the amount of the assessment it determines to be due under this 29 section from the compensation payable to the assessed employe. 30 Assessments required under this section shall not be waived, 19890H1370B1591 - 2 -
1 suspended or reduced after the signing of a collective 2 bargaining agreement or as a condition for the agreement. The 3 scheduling of days to make up instructional days lost because of 4 a strike shall not constitute a basis for a rescission of or a 5 set-off for an assessment owed by or deducted from the school 6 district or for the payment of any compensation to a striking 7 employe under this section. Assessments due under this section 8 shall be paid in the school year in which the strike occurs. 9 (c) If a school district, intermediate unit or area 10 vocational-technical school uses the services of a person who is 11 not a member of the bargaining unit to discharge the duties of a 12 striking employe, the district, intermediate unit or vocational- 13 technical school shall pay the strike assessments required in 14 subsection (b). 15 (d) As used in this section, the term "strike" shall mean a 16 concerted action in failing to report for duty, the wilful 17 absence from one's position, the stoppage of work, slowdown, or 18 the abstinence in whole or in part from the full, faithful and 19 proper performance of the duties of employment for the purpose 20 of inducing, influencing or coercing a change in the conditions 21 or compensation or the rights, privileges, or obligations of 22 employment. 23 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. D20L24CHF/19890H1370B1591 - 3 -