Board, PEA Meet; Impasse Continues

From the Pennsbury School District:

“A frank, animated session,” is how the Chief Negotiator for the Pennsbury School Board described his most recent meeting with negotiators for the Pennsbury Education Association (PEA). They faced each other in a two-hour meeting on the evening of Tuesday, December 18 in the Fallsington Administration Building.

“They were as clear as can be,” said Jeffrey T. Sultanik, the Board’s Chief Negotiator. “They want the Board to raise taxes to fund their new contract. That is the essence of our impasse.” He added, “I know of no board in the region that would allow that to happen.”

The PEA did not present a revised proposal at the meeting. “Despite the fact that the Board had agreed to update its contract proposals to reflect that bargaining had started in January of 2010 and achieved tentative agreements on Memoranda of Understanding discussed in previous sessions, no revised proposal for salary and benefits was presented by the union for consideration,” said Mr. Sultanik. “The union promised it would have a new salary and benefits proposal as of November 27, 2012 and as of December 17, 2012, but failed to deliver. They are still asking for 4.9% per year in salary increases, retroactive to the 2010-2011 school year. What is most disappointing is that the union’s sole strategy is to have the Board increase taxes.”

Several Pennsbury administrators attended the session with Mr. Sultanik to answer questions if needed. They were Business Administrator Daniel Rodgers, Human Resources Director, Bettie Ann Rarrick, and Financial Services Director, Joanne Godzieba. Present at the meeting to represent the PEA were UNISERV representatives Karen Stranz and Brad Gross, and PEA President George Miller, along with PEA members Bev Esling, Brad Klotz, and Lynn Vitale. State Mediator, John Cairns, was also in attendance.

No date was established for the next negotiation session.

Related:

• Pennsbury Talks Described as 'Cordial and Professional'
• Pennsbury Negotiates for New Contracts
• Pennsbury Superintendent Gets $10,000 Raise