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Millville Area Teachers Strike

MILLVILLE —  For the second time this school year, teachers in the Millville Area School district are on strike, and after they walked the picket line in ...
col millville teachers strike

MILLVILLE --  For the second time this school year, teachers in the Millville Area School district are on strike, and after they walked the picket line in Columbia County last fall, it is a sure bet that school will be in session until the end of June. As of now the school year in the Millville Area School District is scheduled to end on June 30, a full month late.

This is the second time teachers in Millville went on strike this school year and the state's education association says it is the longest teachers' strike in Pennsylvania since 1992.

Teachers from Millville Area School district walked up and down Main Street in front of the district's administration building.

"We're trying to send a message that we want this done now, sooner rather than later. It's been a long haul. We've been negotiating for three and a half years," said teachers' union president Carol Troisi.

The teachers went on strike for 27 days at the beginning of the school year. This current walkout is scheduled to last four days. The state's education association says this is the longest running teachers' strike in Pennsylvania since 1992. The teachers say they are focused on healthcare issues.

"If we went with the package that the board is proposing, a teacher in the year 2018 would actually be making less take-home pay than they did in 2009," said Troisi.

The students we spoke with have different opinions on the strike, but most of them agree they wish they were back in class.

"I don't know how to handle it. Everything's just so crazy," said Jacqueline Perkins, a student from Millville. "I think that we should just go back to school. We have to go 'til June 30 now, which is kind of crazy."

"I understand where the teachers are coming from and I understand why they would want to make more money. It's really inconvenient for all of the students, though," said Magdalin McCarty, a student from Greenwood Township.

McCarty says she is frustrated because she has a part-time job in the summer and won't be able to work as much because of the school year lasting until June 30. She says some classmates had to reschedule vacations.

"I'm in softball right now and it's really stressful finding out the schedule because we don't have school so I can't just ask my friends in school what our schedule is. I have a game today and I have to figure out a way to get my uniform in the school and go to softball."

Graduation has already been postponed, but the district is hoping to schedule it before June 30.

A representative for the state education association says the strike can't go beyond April 9 in order to get 180  days in by June 30.  The Millville students will be back in class Friday.

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