Strongsville City Schools (SCS) is the school district for the city of Strongsville, Ohio and consists of 8 schools with an overall total of 6,200 students. The 383 teachers that work for the school district are members of a union called the Strongsville Education Association (SEA). In 2013, SEA and the Strongsville School Board were having contract negotiations for the teachers upcoming contract, after the previous one had expired in June 2012. When negotiations were not agreed upon by the time the teachers' union had set, they went on strike in March 2013. The teacher strike lasted for eight weeks. During this time frame, SEA and its president, Tracy Linscott, held picket lines outside of all the schools within the SCS district. Contracts were agreed upon on April 27, 2013, which ended the eight week strike. Teachers were back into the schools by April 30, 2013. Negotiations In the December 2012 five-year-forecast of the SCS district, significant fiscal challenges were outlined. This prompted the Strongsville School Board to seek new concessions in the upcoming contract renewal for the teachers. The School Board wanted: Requiring teachers to pay a portion, 15 percent, of their own dental care premiums Increasing the teachers monthly health premium Conversion of the 9.3% pension pick-up to a 9.3% salary increase Using teacher evaluations for lay-offs and only relying on seniority as a tie-breaker The Strongsville Education Association did not agree with the percentages and new increases in their healthcare. SEA claimed terms were unfair over the course of negotiations before the strike. The teachers argued that their salary scale had not been increased since the 2007-2008 school year and that their health coverage had already increased since then. Over the course of the eight week strike, Tracy Linscott, SEA President, negotiated with the School Board and the Board President, David Frazee. The final contract was agreed upon by SEA on Saturday, April 27 and the School Board voted unanimously on it on Sunday, April 28. In the end the teachers received the pay increases they wanted but took cuts in health insurance coverage. They also faced backlash from the students and the community that did not support the strike. During the Strike On March 4, 2013, students of the SCS district showed up to school and saw their teachers outside with signs and whistles blocking the school driveways. Some of the signs read, "No Contract, No