Neshaminy teachers offer to end strike
Union seeks around-the-clock talks for seven days, followed by binding arbitration.
Neshaminy teachers offer to end strike
Louise Boyd, president of the Neshaminy teachers union, reads a statement Thursday night outside Maple Point Middle School, urging the school board to resume negotiations. (Bill Reed/Staff)
The 654-member Neshaminy Federation of Teachers offered Friday to end their five-day strike to enter around-the clock negotiations with the school board for one week, followed by "final and binding arbitration.
"We have been advised that the School Board is willing to engage in around the clock negotiations if the Federation is willing to immediately end its strike," the union said in a letter to school board President Ritchie Webb. "The Federation welcomes this Board offer to bargain twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week until agreement is reached, if the strike is suspended.
"We would readily agree to do so if the Board also agrees that if no agreement is reached within seven days of around the clock bargaining, all remaining disputes would be submitted to final and binding arbitration before an arbitrator selected from a list of seven names provided by the American Arbitration Association," the union said.
"The offer to enter into binding arbitration is huge," union spokesman Bob Schiers said. "It's the first time in the history of the NFT" that it has been offered.
Webb said he had not made an offer to the union, other than that negotiations would resume once the teachers go back to work.
"The rest of it is spin," he said. "I am considering it."
Webb said he would respond to the union Friday afternoon, after discussing the offer with board members.
Schiers said that Webb and board Vice President Kim Koutsouradis have said in interviews and at Tuesday's school board meeting that they would return to the table and negotiate around-the-clock, seven days a week, as soon as the teachers end their strike.
Comments (62)
The board won't go for binding arbitration because they know they won't be happy with the results. I'm amazed that everyone is putting all of the blame on the teachers. I guess that means a board should be able to pay whatever it wants as long as it says " We don't have it", and everyone believes them. BTW, how much do you think the Supe is getting paid, or the members of that board? I'll bet it's much more insane than any teacher's salary.— drbob1- i'm not terribly familiar with neshaminy in particular. but I'm just talking in generalities here. But I have a hard time believing that the average teacher in that district is earning anything close to 80K a year. and even 80K a year isn't a ton in today's day in age. that's just a honest middle class living. teachers are one of the most important pillars of our community and should be paid accordingly.— Ryan
Comment removed.- HAHA I guess the"real professionals" you are seeking will work for free huh? Love it, you professionals on a discount. I think every teacher in this country needs to go on strike and let you people see how things work in the "real" world that I read so much about in these posts. — vathi
- A mere stunt for PR.
PA law allows for non-binding arbitration at any time, and also after the union is required to go back to work after the allowable number of strike days occurs.— carelessfills - When has the media ever sided with a Union or workers in any dispute? The workers are clearly not greedy in every labor dispute if you actually look at the numbers and not believe every word the papers print. That is an easy and simplistic outlook to have. People who reflexively blame Unions for all the countries problems should just come out and admit that they want to lower the standard of living in this country. Here is a novel idea: stop attacking your neigbors who are middle class like you and start focusing on the 1% and the politicians in both parties who cause these problems. They sit back and laugh at you in their gated communities.— Michael T. Welsh
- Your exactly correct. They only know what is published in the paper and now all of the sudden they know it all. Most of the negotiations have not been publicized until recently. Its like when time comes for the NFL draft and all these fans read mock drafts (which is published, like what is published in the paper on this only about 5% of the knowledge)and all of the sudden know everything about everyone, without ever watching a college football game or only their team play out of the 100's of other teams in the country. They are only getting a small dose of what really is going on because the Union doesn't go running to the public. Even with the strike they dont. If there was never a strike no one would have an idea that they have been trying to get a contract for years ... — shoutout
- Your exactly correct. They only know what is published in the paper and now all of the sudden they know it all. Most of the negotiations have not been publicized until recently. Its like when time comes for the NFL draft and all these fans read mock drafts (which is published, like what is published in the paper on this only about 5% of the knowledge)and all of the sudden know everything about everyone, without ever watching a college football game or only their team play out of the 100's of other teams in the country. They are only getting a small dose of what really is going on because the Union doesn't go running to the public. Even with the strike they dont. If there was never a strike no one would have an idea that they have been trying to get a contract for years ... — shoutout
- Comment removed.
- Artese -
You clearly don't have a clue. Most of these teachers have obtained a higher level of education(masters) which off the bat makes them qualified for numerous other careers. They chose to be teachers because they love their job and want to help kids. No one knows what it is like to deal with kids and their parents everyday. And I guarantee you couldn't do it for the number of years theses teachers have, nor could I. Every other school district around has gotten new contracts while these teachers have been working without contracts for years. They have purposed 6 different contacts, all in which they have offered to pay towards their healthcare, and the district turns it down and offers them a contract until the end of the school year ... for what??? so they can do this all over again next year? The district needs to step up and be willing to meet them halfway and offer more than a few months of a contract. I'd be doing the same thing if I was a teacher, seeing all the other school district get new contracts and years later they still don't have one. They contract they are asking for is no different than the ones the other schools have received.
— shoutout - The education establishment themselves have pushed the Masters degree as a teaching requirement precisely to bulwark their claims to higher wage entitlement. These degree programs are chock full of liberal social nonsense, education theory, and pointless role concentration. The truth is that any adult who themselves went to school when they were children already possesses all the knowledge necessary to teach below the high school level.One doesn't need a Masters degree to teach Dick and Jane watch Spot run. Folks with these meager skills are a dime a dozen and should be paid accordingly. The Masters degree requirement is a ploy to drive up wages. — polonius47
- They do it for the same reasons as people need to take the GMAT's, SAT's, CPA's, series 7's and other exams like that. It makes them learn their material better to further qualify them for the position, which is the reason they offer incentives to do so. Have you have sat in a 400 level math or science class, or even a 400 level class period? probably not. Either way if I am looking for a accountant or financial advisor to handle my affairs, I am not going to take someone with a BA when I can get someone with a masters degree or CFA or CPA. Same holds true with my kids, so I am supportive of teachers getting their masters, and schools rewarding them for doing so. — shoutout
- Thats how much you know. First of all that a State requirement if they want to keep their licence. Second, most of them (depending on the district) have to pay from 50% to 100% for their masters so why would you go and pay 20k to bring your pay up 1k a year if you didn't have too? If you think the difference is larger i suggest you do some reading. — vathi
- the point was that a masters like those other licenses are used to distinquish themselves from the rest of the pack, hence the reason they get a $5k bonus off the bat, which carries over the years. Its a long term ivestment. you seem like you could use an example ... emplyee A has a BA and employee to has a masters. Bc of this employee A gets $45k a yr and emplyee B gets $50k a yr and paid $20k for their masters, after 5 yrs they pay off their tuition and since they usually teach for 25-30 yrs 20 more yrs at $5k would be $100,000 more than employee A. Thats how it works my firend ... do ur research. Either way the teachers deserve a new contract and offered to pay towards their benefits. — shoutout
- Ryan; So 80K isn't a lot these days.....err..is your last nema Rip Van Winkle???— STEPHEN1988
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