'Work to Contract' Ends as Board, Teachers Resume Talks

Montclair's teachers union ended its "work to contract" effort Monday as the Montclair Board of Education and union resume contract negotiations. 

The board and Montclair Education Association issued a joint statement Monday saying the sides have returned to the negotiation table. Contract talks began again on Friday, March 1, the statement said, where the two sides scheduled "numerous dates" to negotiate this month in order to "settle the contract without proceeding to mediation." 

Union members also agreed to place a "moratorium" on a work to contract provision in which members did not volunteer any additional time with students they were not paid for in their contract. It was put into effect on Feb. 26. 

Both sides also agreed to keep the talks out of the public, and "maintain the confidentiality of the contract negotiation process," according to the statement.

In addition, the board continued the health benefits for the 17 paraprofessional aides who had their benefits axed in June 2011. The press release said the aides' federal benefits expired on Feb. 28, and the board averted any break in their coverage during the month of March. 

Union President Gayl Shepard and Board President Robin Kulwin said in the joint statement, “the energies of both the MEA and the Board will be focused on good faith bargaining to produce an amicable agreement in a timely manner.” 

While contract negotiations resume, the process to acquire a state-assigned third-party mediator will continue in the event that the board and the union are unable to reach a contract settlement on their own. 

The board filed an impasse with the state on Feb. 21 with the state's Public Employment Relations Commission requesting a mediator. The process through the state could take up to six months to begin. 

Both sides also said in the statement if mediation becomes necessary, the board and union "will assess whether the terms agreed to on Friday ... will continue."

Contract negotiations fell apart when the board filled for an impasse with the state. Soon after on Feb. 25, the union showed its displeasure with the stalled negotiations by packing the board meeting with more than 250 teachers and union staff.  

The next day on Feb. 26, the board issued statements accusing the union of demanding excessive salary increases and an unsustainable contract for Montclair taxpayers. 

The full statement from the board and teachers union issued Monday, March 4, can be read below. 

The Montclair Board of Education and Montclair Education Association Resume Contract Negotiations

The Montclair Board of Education (Board) and the Montclair Education Association (MEA) resumed contract negotiations on Friday, March 1, 2013. A productive meeting in a mutual show of good faith yielded the following results:

Numerous dates have been established in March for both parties’ negotiation teams to meet, in an effort to settle the contract without proceeding to mediation.
The Board and the MEA agreed that each side will maintain the confidentiality of the contract negotiation process and will not engage in any public discussion or disclosure of the content of their on-going negotiations. We will work together to keep the community informed of our progress.

On Tuesday, February 26, 2013, the MEA placed a moratorium on the provision of additional non-contractual, non-compensated activities. While the Board and the MEA continue to negotiate, effective March 4, 2013, the MEA will lift this moratorium.

The Board informed the MEA that on February 27, 2013, arrangements had been made by the Board and communicated to the 17 affected employees that the cost of continuing health/dental benefits for those paraprofessional aides whose COBRA coverage would have expired on February 28th, 2013 had been paid by the Board, thereby averting any break in coverage for those individuals during the month of March.

Both the Board and the MEA further agreed that the process that was initiated with the State of New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to assign a third-party mediator to these contract negotiations will continue, in the event that the Board and the MEA are unsuccessful in reaching a settlement on their own. If mediation becomes necessary and if no new dates for bargaining are established, the Board and the MEA will assess whether the terms agreed to on Friday, March 1, 2013 will continue.

Gayl Shepard, MEA President, and Robin Kulwin, Board President, agreed that “the energies of both the MEA and the Board will be focused on good faith bargaining to produce an amicable agreement in a timely manner.”