The standoff between Hamilton Southeastern Schools and its teachers escalated Friday as the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) urged educators to begin a “work-to-rule” action in response to stalled contract negotiations.
The move comes after teachers overwhelmingly rejected what the district described as its final contract offer, with 86% voting against the proposal. The district has argued it faces budget constraints, while union leaders maintain the school system has sufficient cash reserves to provide fair compensation.
In a message posted to teachers and shared publicly, HSEA President Tyler Zerbe said the union’s members have reached a breaking point.
“We navigated not ratifying our contract for the first time in HSE history,” Zerbe wrote. “We refused to stand down, even in the face of adversity and divisiveness.”
Work-to-rule means teachers will perform only duties specifically required in their contracts — a shift that could result in staff no longer answering emails outside school hours, grading or planning lessons after the school day, or volunteering for extra responsibilities.
“If it requires us to show up outside [contract hours], we don’t,” Zerbe said. “It is high-time for everyone to know this one, incontrovertible fact: our classrooms, these buildings, this district, do not run without us.”
Zerbe emphasized that teachers will continue to teach and support students in their classrooms, but said they will no longer put in the unpaid time that often fills evenings, early mornings, and weekends.
“Staff will continue to deliver high-quality instruction to students, as they always have,” Zerbe said. “But, as the old saying goes: enough is enough.”
The dispute marks a sour turn in what has historically been a cooperative labor-management relationship in one of the state’s largest and highest-performing school districts. This is the first time HSE teachers have rejected a contract agreement.
Tensions have risen in recent months as bargaining intensified, with union leaders publicly challenging district financial claims and warning that the proposed contract would amount to a pay cut once inflation and insurance costs are factored in.
In earlier statements, administrators said the district is “operating under significant financial limitations” due to state funding levels and rising expenses.
Zerbe framed the action as a reluctant but necessary step to demonstrate the value teachers bring to classrooms and to the Fishers community.
“We are asking you to reclaim your time and value,” he told teachers. “We are reaffirming the one truth that we have said over and over again: teachers are the backbone of HSE.”
The district and union remain at odds as bargaining continues. It is unclear how long the work-to-rule effort will last.