Police prepare for likely strike by Strongsville Education Association on Monday

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - Strongsville police officers will be stationed at all Strongsville City School buildings on Monday for the expected teachers’ strike.

President of the Strongsville school board David Frazee said negotiations and demonstrations make it clear that a strike is inevitable.

“While we still have until midnight on March 3 to negotiate, the actions and negotiation tactics of the Strongsville Education Association (SEA) negotiation team as well as the menacing behavior of teachers at board member homes and the negotiation site lead us to believe that a strike is what the teachers’ union desires,” Frazee said in a news release on Wednesday.

Last week, the teachers’ union issued a 10-day strike notice to the board of education. During Thursday’s school board meeting, teachers wore black and pins that read “I don’t want to strike but I will.”

"Anytime you're bargaining, there's going to be working conditions. There's going to be health care. There's going to be salary issues. But for us the biggest issue is definitely our working conditions and the kids' learning conditions," Tracy Linscott, Strongsville Education Association President, told NewsChannel5 last week.

The Strongsville Police Department met with school officers and representatives of the Strongsville Education Association, and emphasized peaceful, lawful demonstration. Officers and private security personnel, which were hired by the district, will be at everything school facility.

Parents who are concerned about student safety issues during the potential strike should call Strongsville police at 440-238-7373, the department said.