Glen Rock Teacher Contract Still Unsigned

The Glen Rock teacher's union and school board have accused one another of "unfair labor practices" stemming from the recent teacher's contract. Now the battle is heading to a state mediation board.

On Sept. 20, the school board and Glen Rock Education Association (GREA) agreed to a new three-year deal. In the works for months, the agreement was touted on both sides as a victory.

But the contract was never signed.

Documents obtained by Patch show the deal fell apart soon after it was negotiated due to salary guide disputes.

According to a claim filed at the Public Employment Relations Committee (PERC) by the union, on Sept. 14 Business Administrator Michael Rindedknecht e-mailed union head Anne Camp asking her to sign a ratified agreement.

"The proposed salary guides have been reviewed by the Board's Negotiations Committee as well as Jim Patterson and they are acceptable as submitted," the e-mail reads, according to the document. "I'd appreciate it if you would exectute 2 copies of the attached Final Agreement and return it to my office at your earliest convenience so I can arrange to have it executed by the appropriate board representative."

Camp signed and returned a copy of the agreement. But the board didn't.

"Since that date, the Board has refused to execute the Agreement, rather claiming that there were alleged issues with the salary guide," the union claim states. "The refusal of the Board to execute the CBA (a request was again made on January 15, 2013) constitutes an unfair labor practice."

The school board on Monday night passed a resolution directing the board attorney to argue the dispute with at a PERC hearing. A conference between the two parties has been set up for April 22, a commission employee told Patch.

School board president Sheldon Hirschberg said he could not elaborate on the dispute due to legal issues but confirmed it involved salary guides.

"The resolution speaks for itself," he said.

The resolution, in part, reads: "Whereas the salary guide submitted by the association did not accurately reflect the terms of the parties' settlement; and whereas the association has refused to revise the salary guides to reflect the terms of the parties' settlement; be it resolved that the Board of Education authorizes its attorney to file an unfair labor practice charge against the Glen Rock Education Association with P.E.R.C for failing to bargain in good faith."

Teachers and support staff were to see a 1.9 percent raise in 2012-2013, a 2.9 percent raise in 2013-2014 and a 2.3 percent raise in 2014-2015, according to the agreement.

According to board member Rona McNabola (the board president at the time of the agreement), the dispute will not financially impact the 2013-2014 budget. 

The numbers built into the budget are those of the ratified – but not signed – contract. 

"The issue is out further," she said, adding that due to legal reasons she could not provide specifics.

Rinderknecht did not respond to a request for comment. The teacher's union could not be reached for comment.