Unionized Teachers Stage “Sickout” in Rhode Island

One wonders if unionized teachers watch “Freaky Friday” before they start acting like school children. “Once again, adults have put their financial interests ahead of school children in Rhode Island,” The Providence Journal editorialized on October 21, 2017. “In Warwick, where a union contract battle has raged for years, several schools had to be closed because teachers waged what were clearly ‘sickouts’ — huge numbers of teachers declining to show up for work.”

“This month, Pilgrim High School was closed when 91 of the school’s 140 employees called in sick. Later, Warwick Veterans Junior High School was hit, then Oakland Beach, Park and Robertson elementary schools had to be closed. A fourth was also hit by sick calls last week, but enough substitutes were hastily rounded up to keep it open.”

“By then, this disgraceful conduct had gotten so bad that Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl had to step in and issue a temporary restraining order barring teachers from further sickouts.”