Neshaminy teachers authorize second strike
Union members also suspended "work-to-contract" job action and supported an impartial arbitrator's recommendations for a new contract with reservations.
Neshaminy teachers authorize second strike
Neshaminy teachers, working under the terms of an expired contract for four years, voted Wednesday to lift their controversial "work-to-contract" job action and to authorize their second strike of the school year.
There has been no decision on whether the 633 members of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers will go on strike, union President Louise Boyd said in a written statement Thursday. Members authorized the NFT Executive Committee to call a strike "when and under the circumstances the committee decides are appropriate."
The teachers, guidance counselors, librarians and nurses staged an eight-day strike in January because of the longest current contract impasse in the state. They are allowed by state law to strike again so long as the 180-day school year is completed by June 30.
School board president Ritchie Webb said a strike would "inconvenience families, disrupt children’s education and prolong the school year."
The union is required to give the district 48 hours’ notice of a strike, he said.
The contract talks have been suspended since January, first for the strike and then for a nonbinding arbitration. The impartial arbitrator issued her findings last week, which the school board rejected, 9-0, on Tuesday, and NFT members accepted with reservations on Wednesday.
The arbitrator’s recommended seven-year contract included back pay, contributions for health care, continued retirement bonuses, and raises for the final four years. The contract, from July 2008 through June 2015, would cost the district about $20 million, Webb said at Tuesday’s public meeting.
For back pay, the "award" calls for 50 percent of missed raises and credits for service and education from July 2008, when the contract expired, through June 2012. The recommendation would cost the district $9.2 million, Webb said, with payments spread over three years, but only to current union members.
The union had proposed 80 percent of back pay, while the district ruled out any back pay except for educational credits.
For health care, the arbitrator recommended NFT members pay 10 percent of their premium starting July 1, 11 percent for the 2013-14 school year, and 12 percent the following year. The union offered 8 percent, while the school board proposed 15 percent.
The finding would retain the retirement incentive, lowering it from $27,500 after 10 years to $20,000 after 20 years, with an additional $1,000 a year to $25,000.
NFT members would get raises of 1 percent for the 2011-12 school year, followed by 1.5 percent, 2 percent and 2.25 percent per year. The lowest base salary in the expired contract is about $42,500.
The district lost on proposals to eliminate payment to NFT members who opt out of health care coverage, to allow for drug testing, and to set student-teacher ratios without NFT approval. It won on extending the work day from seven to 7 ½ hours and the work year from 188.5 days to 190.5 days, and reducing the number of personal days from six to three.
While Webb criticized the arbitrator’s finding as "capitulation" to the NFT’s demands, Boyd said it "is not a clear victory for either side."
The arbitration was conducted by impartial arbitrator Rochelle K. Kaplan and a lawyer for each side. They conducted four hearings in February and March, with each side able to present testimony and evidence, to cross examine witnesses, and "offer arguments in support of their respective final best offers."
To get back to the bargaining table, the union dropped its "work-to-contract" job action, Boyd said. In the past two years, members were told to refrain from taking work home, arriving early or staying late. They skipped Back to School nights and graduations and declined to write letters of recommendation.
Webb said he is in favor of resuming talks, but none are scheduled.
Why don't the teachers just quit and find jobs elsewhere? Oh, wait...well, maybe they shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and take ANY raise since the rest of us in the private sector are not getting one! Congrats to the school board for standing up to the union.— Intelligence2008- " In the past two years, members were told to refrain from taking work home, arriving early or staying late. They skipped Back to School nights and graduations and declined to write letters of recommendation."Seriously what is with these bullies? Why do we let them get away with this? They work 180 day sa year, clearly don't work overtime as admitted above, have tenure, full benefits, and pension. They are WAY OVERPAID for all those perks. Plenty of college graduates out there who would start at 40k and run circles around these dinosaurs. (HTML deleted)— FatOwlbert
Comment removed.- thugs— Zero
- Academic America is truely clueless. I have yet to meet one of these dopey teachers that have an ounce of common sense or a skill of use.
Bring Christie to PA!— inkd0874 - Let them all quit if they don't like it. They're just a bunch of non-violent union thugs.— tonyS
- Hmmmmm.....an impartial arbitrator presented their findings as to what was considered fair and equitable and the school district voted it down. THAT should tell people A LOT about who is the REAL catalyst behind the troubles in Neshaminy. The idiots who post the anti-teacher comments have a not-so-hidden, hateful agenda. If any of those anti-teacher people had any higher education or advanced degrees, they'd want to be paid for it, too!— ANGRY AL 2
- The "independent" arbitrator rulings would have cost the district more than the allowable tax increase that is mandated by law. One would think she would have known that fact. I also disagree with your assessment of the Board. They are following what the large majority of Taxpayers wish. That is to keep costs reasonable. These teachers make an average of 90k per year and pay ZERO for health benefits. Wake up pal and see that the mediocre scores that the students receive are indicative of the poor teaching that actually occurs in this district.
- Headline above:
"Neshaminy teachers authorize second strike"
Comment: Of course, right on schedule.— StraightAhead - Neshaminy school district comprises a mix of lower middle-class to middle-class areas. The taxpayers in this district represent a fair amount on fixed income. The district has a two fold mission- control costs and expenses and provide for the education of their constituents. The solution to this mess is a) right to work legislation; b) the abolishment of teachers having the right to strike (similar to police and firefighters) and c) move to 12 month school year. Public education is stuck in a 1950's mentality which is out-dated and doesn't meet the needs of all the stakeholders- primarily educating our young people to compete in a global and demanding marketplace............— Northcountry
- Excellent comment, NorthCountry at 7:38 PM. Good leadership.— StraightAhead
- It is amazing to me how everyone is an expert in education only because they sat in a classroom at some point. Lets address some of the stupid comments on here.
1)Open market? Really? Price for GOOD teachers will only increase in the open market. They will start getting paid like the CEO's and guess who loses? We the taxpayers that will have to pay that bill.
2) Let them quit and bring in young teachers. Ok and how good are these "young" teachers? Who of any quality would want to work as a teacher and make what you think is fair (in other words pretty much for free). Just in case you missed the news, you have to pay for quality in everything. You can't have both: Pay little but demand good quality education. Make a pick. Good education brings home value up, increases the potential income of your children, lowers crime rates etc. What is the price on all those things?
3) I keep hearing that teachers are overpaid so I did a little research. 95% of the people out there (assuming equal education, Masters PhD etc) will make on an average a little more than 1 million over their livelihood than any teacher and if the argument sifts to how many "days" they work, try again. A normal person works 40-50 hours per week, were a "good" teacher works around 65-70 hours per week. So the extra hours more than make up for a full year's work.
But then again everyone sat in a classroom so they can all be teachers. I don't know what is fair but please, enough with the teacher bashing. If it is so great go get a degree (or two) and join them.— vathi - Watch the video below if you want to get educated:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43996175#43996175— vathi - Comment removed.
- The teachers are scum who don't care about the kids but rather how much they can steal from the taxpayers. Enough is enough with these public sector unions who are bankrupting this country with their pensions and Cadillac health care plans.— ResponsibleAmerican
