Teachers opt not to act on school board’s latest contract

NEpeAMfNv - At its ganK O membership meetingI the Neshaminy cederation of Teachers ENcTF rank-andfilH aFFHSWHd iWs uniRn lHaders’ recommendation not to SuW WhH sFhRRl ERard’s laWHsW FRnWraFW RIIHr uS IRr YRWH, and insWHad FRnWinuH wiWh negotiationsK

DurinJ WhH mHHWinJ aW WhH MaSlH 3RinW MiddlH 6FhRRl, an RYHrwhHlminJ maMRriWy RI WhH nHarly 400 uniRn members present accepted WhH EarJaininJ WHam’s adYiFH against taken any action on the contract offerK

AIWHr hHarinJ WhH laWHsW uSdaWH Rn WhH FRnWraFW WalNs, mHmEHrs sRundly rHMHFWHd a mRWiRn FallinJ IRr a IRrmal YRWH Rn WhH SrRSRsHd SaFNageK

fn additionI the membershiS alsR HmEraFHd WhH uniRn lHadHrs’ adYiFH aJainsW FallinJ IRr a sWriNH Rr RWhHr MRE aFWiRn, as lRnJ as nHJRWia- WiRns FRnWinuH.

N)T lHadHrs said WhaW WhH sFhRRl ERard’s FRnWraFW RIIHr wRuld HliminaWH sHYHral SrRYisiRns “whiFh arH NHy WR HduFaWiRnal TualiWy.”

UniRn RIfiFials alsR FallHd Rn WhH ERard WR rHWurn WR WhH EarJaininJ WaElH whHrH “siJnifiFanW SrRJrHss WRward a nHw FRnWraFW has EHHn madH RYHr WhH lasW sHYHral wHHNs.”

fn a prepared statement after Wednesday night’s meetinJ, N)T 3rHsidHnW /RuisH BRyd said, “:H FRnWinuH WR SuW Rur IaiWh in WhH nHJRWiaWinJ SrRFHss.”

According to BoydI the membership’s acceptance RI WhH uniRn lHadHrs’ rHFRmmHndaWiRn “aJainsW YRWinJ Rn a sWriNH Rr MRE aFWiRn aW Whis WimH is HYidHnFH RI WhH N)T’s FRmmiWmHnW WR wRrNinJ RuW WhH IHw rHmaininJ diIIHrHnFHs WhrRuJh dialRJuH in nHJRWiaWiRns.”

HRwHYHr, shH indiFaWHd WhaW a sWriNH “aW sRmH SRinW” EHIRrH WhH Hnd RI WhH FurrHnW sFhRRl yHar rHmains a SRssiEiliWy. AlWhRuJh BRyd said WhaW N)T lHadHrs EHliHYH WhaW an aJrHHmHnW “is wiWhin rHaFh” iI ERWh sidHs FRnWinuH WR WalN.

2nH RI WhH NHy sWumElinJ ElRFNs WR a dHal, shH nRWHd, is WhH sFhRRl ERard’s aWWHmSW WR HliminaWH WhH uniRn’s sRFallHd ‘HTual YRiFH.’

ThH lRnJ-WimH SrRYisiRn allRws WhH N)T WR haYH inSuW Rn HduFaWiRnal maWWHrs in sFhRRl adminisWraWiRn dHFisionsI and is part of the exSirHd FRnWraFW undHr whiFh WhH ranN-and-filH arH FurrHnWly wRrNinJ IRr WhH fiIWh sWraiJhW sFhRRl yHar.

AW a 6HSWHmEHr sFhRRl ERard mHHWinJ, 3rHsidHnW RiWFhiH :HEE SuEliFly FallHd IRr HliminaWiRn RI ‘HTual say.’

“ThH rHaliWy is WhaW HTual YRiFH has hamsWrunJ Rur SrinFiSals and adminisWraWRrs EHFausH WhHy nR lRnJHr haYH WhH auWhRriWy in WhHir Rwn EuildinJs,” :HEE had said. “And iI WhHy dRn’W haYH WhH auWhRriWy hRw Fan wH SRssiEly hRld WhHm aFFRunWaElH.”

Webb had pointed to a state arEiWraWRr’s rHSRrW rHlHasHd in May whiFh IRund WhaW WhH FurrHnW ‘HTual YRiFH’ FlausH JiYHs NHshaminy WHaFhHrs WRR muFh SRwHr in FRmmiWtee meetingsK

2WhHr ERard mHmEHrs haYH HFhRHd :HEE’s Fall WR HliminaWH WhH SrRYisiRn IrRm any nHw aJrHHmHnW.

BuW WhH uniRn disSuWHs WhH sFhRRl ERard’s assHrWiRn, FlaiminJ WhaW ‘HTual YRiFH’ JiYHs WHaFhHrs inSuW inWR district decisions affecting HduFaWiRnal TualiWy, suFh as limiWs Rn Flass sizH and FRrrHFWinJ unsaIH Rr unhHalWhy FRndiWiRns in sFhRRl EuildingsK

“ThH ERard and WhH FRmmuniWy musW undHrsWand WhaW wH haYH a SrRIHssiRnal FRmmiWmHnW WR Rur sWudHnWs WhaW JRHs EHyRnd MusW dRllars and days RI WhH sFhRRl yHar,” N)T 3rHsidHnW BRyd dHFlarHd, FlaiminJ WhaW WhH uniRn has EHHn hHarWHnHd Ey rHFHnW FRmmuniWy suSSRrW Rn WhH issuH.

,n iWs laWHsW RIIHr, WhH sFhRRl ERard has RIIHrHd WhH SPP-member NcT the same three-year contract that the 853-mHmEHr CRunFil RRFN WHaFhHrs uniRn aFFHSWHd in lasW -unH.

DurinJ WhH firsW WwR yHars of that bare-bones agreemHnW, WhH CRunFil RRFN (ducation Association ECoEAF had aJrHHd WR a salary IrHHzH. ,n yHar WhrHH, all WHaFhHrs in WhaW disWriFW will rHFHiYH a halI-SHrFHnW Say raisH, ERRsWinJ WhH WRS WHaFhHr salary IrRm $106,900 WR $107,200.

UndHr WhH Rld FRnWraFW undHr whiFh WhH NHshaminy WHaFhHrs arH FurrHnWly wRrNinJ, WhH maximum EasH salary is $95,923. ,I WhH N)T aSSrRYHs WhH CRunFil RRFN dHal, WhH nHw maximum EasH Say wRuld immHdiaWHly inFrHasH WR $104,325 a yHar, risinJ WR $107,469 Ey WhH Hnd of the three year pactK

As IRr hHalWh FarH, CRunFil oock teachers had agreed to inFrHasH WhHir FRnWriEuWiRns Ey fiYH SHrFHnW WR WhH dis- WriFW’s mHdiFal Slan RYHr WhH three year contractI paying 11 SHrFHnW in WhH firsW yHar, 14 SHrFHnW in yHar WwR and 16 SHrFHnW in WhH final yHar.

NHshaminy WHaFhHrs haYH nRW had a salary hiNH sinFH WhHir FRnWraFW HxSirHd -unH 30, 2007, EuW haYH rHFHiYHd IrHH mHdiFal insuranFH undHr WhH WHrms RI WhH Rld aJrHHmentK

BRyd aFNnRwlHdJHd WhaW WhH sFhRRl ERard SrHsHnWHd an “aWWraFWiYH salary SaFNaJH,” and WhaW wRrNinJ undHr WhH Rld FRnWraFW has mHanW WhaW uniRn mHmEHrs haYH nRW rHFHiYHd any Say raisHs in WhH lasW fiYH yHars.

BuW shH mainWainHd WhaW WhH uniRn dHFidHd WR “IRrJR WhRsH HFRnRmiF Jains” in RrdHr “WR SrHsHrYH SRliFiHs and FRnWraFW SrRYisiRns” whiFh WhH N)T Flaims arH HssHnWial WhH HduFaWiRnal wHll-EHinJ RI WhH sWudHnWs, inFludinJ ‘HTual say.’

“,W shRuld EH FlHar WR anyRnH IRllRwinJ WhHsH nHJRWiaWiRns WhaW Whis is nR lRnJHr an HFRnRmiF disSuWH,” BRyd assHrWHd, “IRr WhH mRsW SarW WhHsH issuHs arH rHsRlYHd.”

“2ur JRal has always EHHn a JRRd FRnWraFW ... wiWhRuW recognition from the board RI WhH imSaFW Rn FhildrHn RI NHy issuHs suFh as Flass sizH and WHaFhHr YRiFH, nHiWhHr sidH Fan rHaFh WhaW JRal,” shH contendedK

WebbI in a statement to BuFNs/RFalNHws.FRm, said, “By nRW aFFHSWinJ WhH ERard’s laWHsW RIIHr, WhH N)T may haYH madH a WHrriElH misWaNH in MudJmHnW. :hilH WryinJ WR hRld RnWR WhH SasW, WhHy arH JamElinJ wiWh WhHir IuWurH.”

:HEE said WhH ERard “madH a ERld, unSrHFHdHnWHd mRYH” WR Hnd fiYH yHars RI laERr unrHsW Ey RIIHrinJ CRunFil oock’s contract to the NcTK

“UnIRrWunaWHly IRr WhH sWudHnWs and WaxSayHrs RI NeshaminyI the NcT not Rnly wanWs WhH CRunFil RRFN mRnHy, EuW alsR wanWs WR NHHS WhH Rld NHshaminy FRnWraFW lanJuaJH WhaW has EHHn sR dHWrimHnWal WR Whis disWriFW,” hH said. “2ur nHJRWiaWiRns FRnWinuH WR EH hamSHrHd Ey issuHs suFh as HTual say, SasW SraFWiFH, and lanJuaJH rHJardinJ Flass sizH WhaW is illHJal.”

:HEE said mRsW SHRSlH “aJrHH WhaW CRunFil RRFN is WhH GRld 6Wandard WR whiFh mRsW disWriFWs in BuFNs CRunWy arH FRmSarHd. ,W is Rnly lRJiFal and Iair WR assumH WhaW iI NHshaminy sWriYHs WR HmulaWH WhH HxamSlH sHW Ey CRunFil RRFN, WhHn wH will alsR duSliFaWH WhHir aFadHmiF suFFHss. TR that endI the board offered WhH mRnHWary SrRYisiRns and nRn-mRnHWary lanJuaJH WhaW arH in WhH CRunFil RRFN FRntractK

“,I Whis is JRRd HnRuJh IRr CRunFil RRFN, WhHn iW shRuld EH JRRd HnRuJh IRr NHshaminy,” said :HEE.

“ThH N)T FRnWinuHs WR say WhHy wanW a FRnWraFW WhaW is JRRd IRr Rur FhildrHn. , hRSH an NcT member can rationalizH IRr mH hRw aFWiRns liNH wRrNinJ-WR-FRnWraFW, strikesI picketing back-tosFhRRl niJhWs, HWF., aWWain WhaW JRal. 6uFh HxWrHmH EHhaYiRr HxisWs sRlHly WR SrRWHFW WhH sWaWus TuR, and has nHYHr EHnHfiWWHd Rur sWudHnWs,” said WebbK

A FRSy RI WhH wriWWHn SrRSRsal and salary sFhHdulHs Fan EH IRund Rn WhH disWriFW’s Negotiations Website EhttpWLL www. nsdERard. ElRJsSRW. comFK

“This is WhH YHry FRnWraFW WhaW FRuld EH in SlaFH nRw iI WhH N)T wRuld allRw WhH ranN and filH WR YRWH Rn iW,” said :HEE. “, am FRnfidHnW WhaW whHn WhH SuEliF rHYiHws the board’s offer in its enWirHWy, WhHy will aJrHH WhaW iW is mRrH Whan Iair.”

There’s no indication of whaW WhH sFhRRl ERard will do nextK