Troy Teachers, Parents Plan To Picket At School Board Meeting

TROY, MI — Troy teachers and parents will be picketing Tuesday outside a school board meeting after weeks of failed negotiations with the district, Patch has learned from the Troy teachers’ union.

Teachers, parents and community leaders are expected to gather outside the Troy School District Services Building, located at 4420 Livernois Road, prior to the board meeting which starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to union leaders.

"The Troy School District provides all students with a world-class education. The truth of the matter is Troy teachers are the essential ingredient in helping Troy reach this milestone," former fifth-grade teacher of 18 years and current president of the Troy Education Association Jason Cichowicz said.

"For this to continue, Troy needs to do everything imaginable to build a competitive teacher contract that recruits and retains the best teachers. After all, a teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love for learning," he added.

Union leaders said teachers and staff have been working without a contract since Feb. 1 and negotiations have been ongoing for weeks. Union leaders said teacher's pay is not competitive with neighboring districts.

Moreover, the union, which represents roughly 800 professional staff in the district, accused Troy school officials of holding onto roughly $32 million in its reserves.

"While school districts throughout Oakland County and the rest of metro Detroit have subsequently bargained contracts with wage enhancements and improved working conditions, Troy School District leaders have chosen instead to horde about $32 million in its reserves," union leaders said in a statement.

Troy schools officials told Patch the district has had four bargaining sessions since April 16 and a total of 15 sessions to date. The meetings have focused on the school calendar, and the district and the union bargaining teams have made significant progress.

"Our administration seeks a competitive compensation package that will attract new and retain current staff and is sustainable over time. Both parties agree that Troy's pay schedule should be aligned and among the tops in Michigan, and both teams will work collaboratively to that end," school officials told Patch in a statement.

Officials noted this year's bargaining cycle across the state has been uniquely complex due to several formerly prohibited topics such as evaluation, teacher placement, among others, dragging on the bargaining process in Troy and across Michigan.

"The Troy School District will utilize a portion of our fund balance to settle this contract. Both parties have agreed to bring in a Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) mediator to assist in finalizing an agreement," school officials told Patch in a statement.

The district's two most recent contracts have also been settled with the help of an independent mediator. The first mediation session will take place Wednesday with additional sessions planned depending on need, school officials said.