High School Teachers: BOE Disrespecting Us In Negotiations Process

It’s been more than 800 days since the West Morris Regional School District Board of Education and its teachers union have had a new contract, and while both sides have been negotiating for more than two school years, the groups are as fed up as ever.

Both sides met with a super conciliator in late September, a step that was not expected when negotiations began. The teacher’s association voted to reject the findings of a state-appointed arbitrator in June, days after the board approved those findings, which lead to nearly no dialogue during the summer months.

The teacher’s union, for the first time since last school year, has decided to make a public statement. Below is their letter to the editor in its entirety.

To the editor,

We’d like to clarify some misconceptions and falsehoods circulating about the status of bargaining between the West Morris Regional Education Association (WMREA) and board of education.

Despite their claims to the contrary, the board does not appear to be committed to reaching a fair and equitable settlement. In fact, the WMREA’s multiple attempts to have productive, collaborative dialogue continued to be rebuffed, resulting in the WMREA exercising its right to request the assignment of a state-appointed fact finder.

Unfortunately, this dialogue did not bear fruit, and, as a result, we now move into the super conciliation stage of the collective bargaining process. While the board of education believes that by dragging their feet we will fold as we languish in our third year (825 days and counting) working under an expired agreement, the WMREA wishes to make clear that it refuses to be pressured or intimidated into settlement. Like the board, we are equally committed to a process that addresses needs—the needs of our members. If the board truly recognized and valued the devotion and exemplary work of our staff, then bargaining would have been settled years ago. Moreover, the Board’s failure to settle with our secretarial colleagues in the district—who are now entering into their fourth school year working under an expired agreement—by rejecting their fact finders’ report speaks volumes about how they view their employees, many of whom are sole providers for their families.

Unlike the board, however, we will continue to respect the privacy of the negotiation process and have no desire to bargain in public. We are professionals who take our responsibilities very seriously, and we will not be coerced into justifying our value to this district. WMREA members go above and beyond our contractual responsibilities for the students and school community every single day. Nevertheless, if the board of education continues to treat us with disrespect, we will be left with no choice but to exercise our right to only perform those duties to which we are contractually bound. Despite what the board would like the public to believe, this is not “misguided” or an act of “intimidation.” It’s our legal right, and we will not be shamed into forgoing it.

We urge the board of education to remove the rancor from this discussion, stop the needless spending on attorneys’ fees, and work with us to establish a productive—and fair—compromise. Let’s work together to keep West Morris Regional a place of pride for all.

Respectfully,
Joyce Hartmann
WMREA president

Another meeting between the two sides is scheduled for Oct. 19 with the board’s next regular meeting scheduled for Oct. 26 at West Morris Mendham.

On Friday, Sept. 18, teachers at both high schools protested outside their respective buildings, a practice that has become common on Friday mornings now that the association is more than two years without a new contract.

An independent fact-finder was appointed to the negotiations earlier this year – after being agreed upon by both sides – and presented his data to both sides in June. Per contract negotiations guidelines, both the board and teacher’s association had 20 days to accept or deny the findings.

The board, in a special meeting, voted unanimously to approve the findings. The teacher’s association and its more than 200 members held a vote, which resulted in a no to the findings. The number of teachers who voted yes or no was not disclosed.

The negotiations process began more than two years ago, ahead of the union’s contract expiration. The full report composed over several months by the arbitrator, which can be found online here, analyzes starting salary in the district, annual raises over a three-year period, and cost for prescription medicines as its most major components.

The fact finder’s synopsis, which can also be seen here, shows three significant recommendations, including:

Salary increases:

• A 2.25% salary increase for the 2013-14 year (county average was 2.05%)
• A 2.35% salary increase for the 2014-15 year (county average was 2.16%)
• A 2.45% salary increase for the 2015-16 year (county average was 2.22%)
• A 2.40% salary increase for the 2016-17 year (proposed by arbitrator, but a fourth year was not included in either the board’s or the union’s proposals)

Slight increase in prescription co-pay
Increase of a starting salary from $47,535 to $50,170

According to the report, in the final year of the current contract, 2012-13, the West Morris Regional Education Association ranked highest in Morris County for average salary.

Both sides are aiming for a three or four year contract. A three year contract, however, would put both sides back at the negotiations table this school year, as the pact would expire June 30, 2016.