ANOTHER VIEW | LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

What just happened in Washington state is a vivid example of why opposing public employee strikes was once a bipartisan priority.

School was supposed to begin late last month in Vancouver, Washington. But support staff workers in Evergreen Public Schools went on strike instead.

The details of the dispute were entirely predictable. The union wanted pay increases of up to 15% over three years. The district, with around 22,000 students, offered pay hikes of up to 12.5%. The district said it's staring down a $26 million funding gap over the next three years.

This math didn't mollify the local union, which is connected to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). They went on strike, which shut down the school system. Students missed out on le

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