Negotiations Update
At Last !!! Progress at the
Table
For the first time since the Commissioner of Education
rejected the negotiated settlement between the P.E.A. and
the District, real progress has been seen at the bargaining
table.
In the first fact-finding session between the parties,
Martin Scheinman, the state appointed Fact-Finder, was able
to persuade the District's representatives to reduce their
proposal in both length and scope.
As a result, the eight page, single spaced document
originally presented to the Association has been reduced to
six basic proposals. At the session, the parties were
requested not to disclose the specifics of any proposals
however.
The session, held Wednesday, February 16 at the Prime
Hotel in Fairfield, was marked by several other "firsts" as
well. Board of Education President Dr. Jonathan Hodges and
Board member Willa Mae Taylor were present at the session.
This is the first time since negotiations began in October
of 2003 that any member of the Board had been in attendance.
In addition to the Board members, Labor Relations Officer
Michael Krause, Director of Personnel Eileen Shafer, and
support staff from the Business Department joined Board
Labor Counsel Robert Murray.
Additionally, the Board of Education presented proposed
teacher salary guides for the term of the agreement for the
first time. While a quick review of these guides by the
Association's team found them to be less than acceptable,
P.E.A. President Pete Tirri labeled them "a good start".
Counteracting these positive developments were, however,
some negative factors. While Scheinman spent most of the
four-hour session with the District's side, he made it clear
to the Association that he expected P.E.A. to winnow its
proposal down, and submit the modifications to him within
ten (10) days. He suggested that the proposals reflect the
issues that would have the most significant impact upon the
general membership.
Additionally, Scheinman's schedule has created a logjam
in the talks. As a result, the next session is set for
March 23, followed by April 4, 6, and 26.
P.E.A. pushed for earlier date, but to no avail. "We
are not pleased with the next scheduled dates," commented
Tirri. "While we recognize that Mr. Scheinman's schedule is
very full, we had hoped that the gap between the first and
second sessions would be significantly less."
"We must take the fact-finder at his word that these are
the dates he has available," Tirri continued. "P.E.A. will
continue to pursue other options, which could help in
closing the gap between the parties and reaching an
acceptable settlement."
Your Negotiating Team will meet on Thursday, February 24
to review its proposal in an effort to comply with the
fact-finder's directions.
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