Teachers in Rhode Island Defy Court Back-to-Work Order

Striking teachers in Pawtucket, R. I., on Friday defied a judge’s back-to-work order as walkouts in five other states dragged on, disrupting classes for 109,000 students nationwide.

The job actions affected 43,500 students in Washington state, 34,000 in Michigan, 18,000 in Pennsylvania, 8,500 in Rhode Island, 3,100 in Illinois and 2,000 in Ohio.

Nearly all of the 600 striking teachers in Pawtucket defied the court order, forcing the cancellation of classes for an eighth day. Superior Court Judge Corinne Grande issued the order Thursday, saying there was no exception to a state law barring strikes by public employees.

In Marion, Ind., 463 teachers reached a tentative agreement with the city school board, ending what is believed to be the shortest teachers strike in Indiana history after 85 minutes.

Teachers returned to work Friday in Colchester, Vt., and in Escorse, Mich., ending four-day strikes in the two school systems. In Escorse, negotiators agreed to defer talks on salaries until a school levy is passed.

In Seattle, 10 1/2-hour negotiations ended early Friday with no progress reported. Talks were to resume Friday afternoon to end the strike by 3,700 teachers, which began Sept. 3 and has kept 43,500 students home.

Strikes continued in five western Pennsylvania school districts, keeping more than 18,000 students out of classes.

In the Montour School District in Allegheny County, Pa., officials said that they will reopen schools for the nearly 3,000 students next week with substitutes.