You can’t reach a settlement if the two parties aren’t in the same room talking. Now the Neshaminy School Board has decided to cut off talks entirely by canceling scheduled negotiating sessions. Teachers remain willing to negotiate. The Board won’t even sit down with teachers. How much clearer could it be which side is blocking progress in reaching a contract?
Teachers are striking for one reason only: because they see no other way of persuading the School Board to negotiate an agreement in good faith. After nearly four years and six contract proposals from teachers, the Board has made little movement towards reaching a contract. Think about it. There are 500 school districts in Pennsylvania. No other district in the Commonwealth has gone nearly four years without a contract. Only this Board has shown itself unwilling to work with teachers to reach an agreement to the extent that years have passed with no progress.
We are willing to reach an affordable contract. This Board has refused to take “yes” for an answer on financial concessions from teachers. It has rejected proposal after proposal from teachers that would save millions in forgone salaries and health care cuts—in some cases, more than the Board’s own proposals. Worst of all, the Board is shortsightedly trying to gut teachers’ contractual right to a voice in education quality, ending years of true partnership between teachers and administrators in school improvement.
With its stubborn refusal to compromise, the Neshaminy School Board is failing its community. I urge this Board and Board President Ritchie Webb to stop stonewalling, schedule negotiations sessions, and get serious about reaching a fair agreement. Our teachers want to get back to the classroom. The only thing standing in the way is this Board’s failure to negotiate in good faith to resolve this dispute.