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Dear John Stark,

To be clear John, I "support a defined contribution plan that would benefit both employees and taxpayers". You left out the second part of that. Please don't. I need to be real clear. My critics love to speak in half-truths.

Also, we agree to disagree on the issue of "do the teachers deserve a contract?". I wholeheartedly agree with you that the contracts of "35 years ago" are relics of the past and are in dire need of updating, but a 2017 version of an "employment contract" is certainly called for, in my opinion.

Now, for your question: Would I support legislation to allow teachers to vote on whether or not they would want to stay in the union with the understanding that a 51% vote would dissolve the union?

No, John. I think we need a union to protect our teachers from the greed and control of the School Committee(SC). I feel that without a union the SC would explode in number and the number of teachers would be decreased to about a dozen. Now, if you want to dissolve the School Committee, and have the Warwick Teachers Union negotiate directly with the Mayor and the City Council (just like the police, fire, and municipal employees do) I think I would entertain that idea seriously.

Finally, you say that my statement of the teachers union being willing to negotiate "Any day, Any time, Any where, about Any teacher-contract topic" is simply not true. John. your comment is "simply not true." Just before the meeting on Tuesday night, I saw the Warwick Teachers Union president Darlene Netcoh in the isle and I asked point blank, "Are you willing to meet with the SC any day, any time, any where to discuss any topic about the teachers union contract?" She affirmatively said "Yes!" I believed her and I haven't read anything to the contrary from any credible source. Have you?

Let's face it. We will never know everything that goes on behind those closed doors, and we shouldn't. But I went to the source, and I believed what she said. I tried to get an answer to that same question from two of the SC members. I am still waiting for an answer, one way or the other.

John, I agree with you that the SS WPS continues to sink and we NEED to get this resolved but I see a willingness to fix this mess from the WTU that just doesn't exist with the SC from my point of view. The teachers may not agree to certain things in the give-and-take of negotiations but you even acknowledged that they negotiated them when you reported their comments on the subject. From what I hear, there are topics that the SC refuses to even discuss. Many topics.

John, let's agree that there should be NO topic off the table. I believe that is the only way to right the sinking SS WPS.

Take good care John.

Rick