The Pennsbury Administration Building
File photo
The Pennsbury School Board and the union that represents its roughly 850 teachers are not seeing eye to eye.
At a special meeting Thursday evening, the school board voted to reject a fact-finder’s report that could have laid the framework for a new contract for the members of the Pennsbury Education Association (PEA), who voted in favor of the report earlier this week.
Board solicitor Michael Clarke said at the meeting that the fact-finder’s report, which was prepared by state-appointed attorney Mary Theresa Metzler, laid out recommendations that Pennsbury “simply cannot afford.”
Clarke said the fact-finder report failed to take into account the increasing costs and restrictions on tax increases the district faces. He said the administration and his office recommended the board reject the fact-finder’s report.
With the current contract, which was approved in 2015 and expires on June 30, the district will already be paying an additional $1.1 million in salary increases.
Lucy Walters, spokesperson for the PEA, stated at the meeting that it was “really sad” teachers’ currently have currently fallen behind in salary compared to the cost of living in the district.
Teachers in the district start at $45,628 (lowest step on the salary matrix) and can top out at $99,204 (highest step). The average income per person for men and women in the Pennsbury School District is $44,452, according to Census data examined by LevittownNow.com.
“The teachers have accepted fact-finding report after fact-finding report. Years ago when we were faced with real financial difficulties, we took zero. We voted to take zeros. Now we’re asking you to show that you truly do value the education that we give to our students and teachers that give that education,” Walters told the board.
In the coming days, the report will be made public by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Clark asked the board not to comment on the fact-finders report until it is released publicly.
The report will be published Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, according to a state spokesman. Pennsbury plans to publish the report also on its website once it is released.
Within 10 days of the report being released, a second vote on whether it will be approved or not approved will be taken.
Under Pennsylvania Act 88, appointing a fact-finder is option for both the district and union when contract negotiations are at an impasse. The state-appointed fact-finder looks at contract proposals and makes recommendations based on them. If both sides accept the fact-finder report, it becomes binding. If rejected, the report can be used to put together a contract while negotiations continue.
On Friday, teachers picketed outside some Pennsbury schools outside of teaching hours to voice their opinion on the board voting down the fact-finders report.
The PEA and district have been locked in negotiations since earlier this year.
The post Pennsbury & Teachers’ Union Fail To Agree On Contract Framework appeared first on LevittownNow.com.