By Mark Maynard
Kentucky Today
Stephanie Winkler, president of the Kentucky Education Association, spoke with passion and fire in an emotional press conference concerning Thursday night’s passage of the pension reform bill and delivered a stark and threatening message to legislators who voted in favor of Senate Bill 151.
“Anyone that voted yes for this bill will need to start packing up their legislative office,” she said.
Cheers erupted from teachers gathered at the Friday afternoon press conference.
”What has occurred over the last 24 hours is nothing short of a bomb that has exploded on public service,” Winkler said.
Teachers from across Kentucky protest in Frankfort. (Photo by Robin Cornetet, Kentucky Today)
Winkler, who is a fourth-grade teacher, said there will be a rally Monday on the Capitol steps as the General Assembly convenes for day 58 of the 60-day session. The two-year state spending plan is still being debated by a combined House-Senate committee and was expected to come to a vote Monday with time running out on the session.
“We will be here watching every single move legislators make,” she said. “We will react. We will not be silent. The budget, legislators, is still before you. Redeem yourselves, if you can.”
SEEK funding needs to be raised and transportation costs made whole, Winkler said of two issues, among others pertaining to education, that she will be watching.
No matter what happens with the state budget, Winkler said the legislators who voted for the pension reform would remain targeted in election season. “The damage has already been done unless this gets overturned.”
Winkler said the KEA would also join in the lawsuit with the attorney general if the governor signs the bill into law.
Winkler didn’t rule out a work stoppage by the teachers who are angry over not only the bill but how it was derived through a “secret backdoor deal.” Lawmakers put in language from Senate Bill 1 that dealt with the pension reform into Senate Bill 151, which was previously a wastewater bill that had already passed the Senate and had two of the three required readings in the House.
The bill narrowly passed the House 49-46 and then the Senate 22-15.
“It’s the way they went about it,” she said. “Almost 300 pages came out online at close to 3 o’ clock this morning. I’m going on two hours of sleep because I want my teachers to be educated about it.”
Winkler said she is tired of public educators being treated unfairly and with such little regard and particularly mentioned Gov. Matt Bevin “and the way he treats public educators. It’s got to stop.”
At least 20 school systems cancelled classes on Friday because so many teachers called in sick after learning about the pension reform bill late Thursday night.
Winkler was asked if she supported the walkout on Friday. “All I know is teachers were so distraught about what happened. It was their decision and very unfortunate that had to occur.”
When pressed further if she condoned the action, Winkler said: “I support their right to call in sick if they’re ill, and they are ill – they’re sick to death.”
The room again erupted into cheers and applause.
When asked if a work stoppage was a possibility, she didn’t call for it, but said, “Everything is on the table.”
Under Kentucky law, public employees do not have the right to strike.
In 1970, Kentucky teachers went on a statewide strike over pay grievances that involved about 25,000 employees and lasted five days. The General Assembly agreed to raise the pay of teachers to end the strike.
The bill passed Thursday removes some of the most criticized parts of previous proposals. Current and retired teachers, who are not eligible for Social Security benefits, would still get annual raises of 1.5 percent in their retirement checks. And current workers would not have to work longer to qualify for full benefits.
However, new hires would be moved to a hybrid plan. They would be guaranteed to get back money they and taxpayers contributed to their retirement accounts, plus 85 percent of any investment gains. The state would keep the other 15 percent. The bill would also remove new teachers from an “inviolable contract” that would protect them from future benefit changes.
“We are at a crossroads here and if we go the wrong way, it will be to our commonwealth’s detriment, period,” Winkler said.
