Mum's the word at McGuffey
McGuffey School Board President Joyce Knestrick wouldn’t say whether school activities will be canceled next week if teachers strike.
“No comment at this time,” she said when asked about the activities after Thursday’s school board meeting.
The union announced earlier this week that members voted to authorize a strike Monday if it cannot reach an agreement with the board about its contract.
Representatives from both sides will meet with a mediator tonight to try and resolve the remaining issues.
“We’re optimistic, hopeful,” said Andrew MacBeth, a spokesman for the McGuffey union. “It’s a great sign that we have a mediator involved. Maybe they can help us find common ground.”
Knestrick and school board member Doug Teagarden said before the school board meeting they are also hoping the differences can be resolved.
“We are always willing to talk,” Teagarden said.
The two sides have been negotiating for more than a year. At the board’s request, the teachers agreed to bring in a state fact-finder in November. Teachers approved the fact-finder’s recommendations in December, even though it didn’t contain everything they wanted because they wanted the negotiations resolved, MacBeth said.
The board rejected the recommendations, saying the district could not afford the financial obligations imposed by them.
The report by fact-finder Matthew M. Franckiewicz called for starting teachers to get a $1,075 increase this year to $34,096. It calls for the maximum salary to be $73,942 this year, an increase of $960. It calls for the starting salary to be $41,789 in 2013-14, the last year of the contract. That year, it calls for the maximum salary to be $79,243.
The fact-finder’s report also calls for the monthly health insurance premiums to stay the same this year and next year at a cost of $15 per month for single coverage and $30 for any other coverage. It would jump to $20 and $40, respectively, for the next two years of the contract and to $25 and $50 for the last year of the contract.
After rejecting the fact-finder’s report, the board made another offer to the union that included an average 3.5 percent salary increase and requested increased contributions for health care costs and a few additional minutes daily to educate students and train staff, Benjamin Pratt, an attorney working for the board on negotiations, said in a news release.
Teagarden said the board wanted the teachers to pay half the cost of health insurance increases over the life of the contract.
Teachers rejected that offer and offered the fact-finder’s report as a counter-proposal, he said.
MacBeth said the union is trying to come to a fair agreement that teachers can live with and the district can afford.
The board did not discuss the strike or negotiations publicly during Thursday night’s meeting, except to answer questions from a resident about whether the board rejected the fact-finder’s report.
However, the board did discuss the contract negotiations during an 80-minute executive session.
“No comment at this time,” she said when asked about the activities after Thursday’s school board meeting.
The union announced earlier this week that members voted to authorize a strike Monday if it cannot reach an agreement with the board about its contract.
Representatives from both sides will meet with a mediator tonight to try and resolve the remaining issues.
“We’re optimistic, hopeful,” said Andrew MacBeth, a spokesman for the McGuffey union. “It’s a great sign that we have a mediator involved. Maybe they can help us find common ground.”
Knestrick and school board member Doug Teagarden said before the school board meeting they are also hoping the differences can be resolved.
“We are always willing to talk,” Teagarden said.
The two sides have been negotiating for more than a year. At the board’s request, the teachers agreed to bring in a state fact-finder in November. Teachers approved the fact-finder’s recommendations in December, even though it didn’t contain everything they wanted because they wanted the negotiations resolved, MacBeth said.
The board rejected the recommendations, saying the district could not afford the financial obligations imposed by them.
The report by fact-finder Matthew M. Franckiewicz called for starting teachers to get a $1,075 increase this year to $34,096. It calls for the maximum salary to be $73,942 this year, an increase of $960. It calls for the starting salary to be $41,789 in 2013-14, the last year of the contract. That year, it calls for the maximum salary to be $79,243.
The fact-finder’s report also calls for the monthly health insurance premiums to stay the same this year and next year at a cost of $15 per month for single coverage and $30 for any other coverage. It would jump to $20 and $40, respectively, for the next two years of the contract and to $25 and $50 for the last year of the contract.
After rejecting the fact-finder’s report, the board made another offer to the union that included an average 3.5 percent salary increase and requested increased contributions for health care costs and a few additional minutes daily to educate students and train staff, Benjamin Pratt, an attorney working for the board on negotiations, said in a news release.
Teagarden said the board wanted the teachers to pay half the cost of health insurance increases over the life of the contract.
Teachers rejected that offer and offered the fact-finder’s report as a counter-proposal, he said.
MacBeth said the union is trying to come to a fair agreement that teachers can live with and the district can afford.
The board did not discuss the strike or negotiations publicly during Thursday night’s meeting, except to answer questions from a resident about whether the board rejected the fact-finder’s report.
However, the board did discuss the contract negotiations during an 80-minute executive session.
Labels: McGuffey strike
posted by Dawn Keller at
1:04 PM
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