| Negotiations Update: Summer 2012 Status of Negotiations The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District has been negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, or contract, with the Tredyffrin/Easttown Education Association (TEEA) since January 2012. Despite the T/E School District's desire to negotiate a contract with the TEEA, a new contract is not in place due to substantial differences in bargaining positions. The T/E School District is committed to creating a compensation package which is reflective of the unprecedented economic challenges facing the T/E School District community and which allows for student success and fiscal sustainability now and in the future. With contract negotiations between the T/E School District and the TEEA at an impasse, the TEEA unilaterally requested fact finding on June 19, 2012. As such, a neutral third party known as a fact finder, who is assigned by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB), will examine both parties' proposals and make recommendations based on the proposals. Fact Finding Process The fact finder has forty days to issue a report that contains recommendations for a new contract. Prior to issuing the report, the fact finder will conduct private hearings to take evidence on the demographics of the school district, the ability of the school district to pay for the total contract proposal and evidence on each one of the issues in dispute. The fact finder will develop a report for consideration by both parties. After the fact finder issues the report on July 30, 2012, each side will have ten days to notify the PLRB whether it will accept or reject the report in its entirety. The T/E School Board plans to meet on August 9, 2012 at 8:00 pm in the T/E Administration Offices (TEAO) at 940 West Valley Road, Suite 1700 in Wayne, to consider the fact finder's report. If one or both parties reject the report, it will be made public. No less than five days and no more than ten days after the report is made public, each side must again notify the PLRB on whether it will accept it. To adhere to this requirement, the T/E School Board will meet on August 23, 2012 at 8:00 pm at the TEAO if necessary. The fact finder's report will become the contract if both parties accept the report. It should be noted that the T/E School District has reviewed recent outcomes of fact finding. There appears to be a tendency for the fact finding process to "look backward" and make recommendations based on past contract settlements in the region without sufficient regard to the current economic situation. Over the past year, two Chester County school districts were involved in fact finding and in both situations, no contract settlement was achieved. Entering Status Quo on July 1, 2012 Since there was no new contact as of its June 14, 2012 meeting, the T/E School Board passed a resolution on the continuation of the previous contract, known as status quo. In keeping with the law, the T/E School District and the TEEA will enter status quo on July 1, 2012. Status quo means: - T/E teachers' salaries will be frozen as of their salary level based upon the established 2011-2012 salary. Teachers will continue to receive their salary at the current rate until the earlier of: (1) a strike or lockout within the terms of Act 88 of 1992; or (2) the entry into a new contract.
- T/E teachers' current health care benefit will remain the same and teachers will pay their contractual share for health benefit premiums depending upon the health benefit plan opted for by the employee until there is a new contract.
Staying Informed this Summer The T/E School District will continue to keep the community updated on negotiations milestones so that the process and issues are understood by those paying for the contact. Information on the negotiations process will be posted on the T/E School District web site, www.tesd.net, and included in e-mail updates. Community members may sign up for e-mail updates by clicking here. The T/E School District's goal continues to be the development of a contract that results in student success through the sustainability of a high quality educational program. Click here for the full version of the Negotiations Update, including the Fact Finding Timeline. |
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