Brecksville-Broadview Heights Education Association votes to approve strike

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - The Brecksville Education Association passed a bill Wednesday that allows them to go on strike.

The strike authorization bill passed with a 99.5 percent majority, as unions and the Board of Education are failing to find common ground. It allows the Association to issue a strike if and when needed.

“These negotiations should be about much more  than money but unfortunately that’s all the Board seems to care about and they are willing to sacrifice our children’s future to advance their agenda,” Association spokesperson Joe Zenir said in a news release.

The Association said they took the vote because the Board plans to eventually unilaterally implement a contract, imposing working conditions against their consent.

They said they do no want the strike but that the Board is doing everything in their power to force one.

As a parent, teacher and coach in the community, Zenir called Wednesday “a sad day for our schools.”

“We have always said that our only goal is to achieve a fair and equitable contract that perpetuates the heritage of our fine educational programs that people in our communities expect and deserve,” Zenir said.