Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The NFT leadership will bring the Neshaminy School Board's "final offer" before the rank and file teachers for a vote.
During what the Neshaminy School Board called "perhaps the most productive negotiation session ever," the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers informed them that the board's "final offer" will be brought before the rank and file teachers for a vote. According to school board President Ritchie Webb, this final offer is based on the Council Rock School District contract. If the union members approve this offer, the school board will release the details of its proposal to the public for review and comment and will then vote on the proposal at a public meeting. However, if the offer is not approved by NFT membership, the board will withdraw the proposal. "The fate of these negotiations now rests solely with the NFT. The decision to end this …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday night's negotiation session did not produce much results, according to statements from both the school board and union.
Wednesday night’s meeting between representatives from the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers and the school board yielded little results. “Disagreement on several issues has significantly slowed the momentum of the talks,” the NFT said in a statement. The board, headed by Richie Webb, said in a statement that the two sides “discussed and reviewed the current 69 NFT issues in their most current revised format given to the Board at 10 p.m. last night (Tuesday) via email from the NFT President.” “Despite the substantial economic concessions offered by the teachers, the Board refuses to seriously consider a number of important issues that are critical to the educational quality of Neshaminy schools,” according to a NFT statement. “While the NFT…
Friday, December 7, 2012
Representatives from the Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers continued teacher contract negotiations Thursday night.
Negotiation teams for the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers and Neshaminy School Board continued teacher contract talks Thursday night. In their 62nd negotiation session, both sides met face-to-face for about an hour during which they discussed the 69 open items, including equal say and past practice, that the NFT presented to the board November 26. In a statement, school board President Ritchie Webb said that board provided the union a detailed written response to all 69 items. Both parties will meet again Dec. 12.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Several Neshaminy School Board members stated that they will not approve a new teachers contract that includes an "equal voice" clause.
After hearing several residents' pleads, members of the Neshaminy School Board assured the community that they will not agree to a new teachers contract that includes an "equal voice" clause. "Any contrqact that takes away control from the school district is not a good contract," board member Anthony Sposato said, adding that he would vote against a contract that included equal voice. Board member Mike Morris told the community that the school board's priority is representing Neshaminy students and running the school district. He also said that the board does not represent the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers and that the NFT "definitely does not represent the students." "Equal say must go; we are not bending," Morris added. Board member …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Neshaminy Federation of Teachers and Neshaminy School Board met to negotiate Monday night after a three-week hiatus.
After not meeting for three weeks, the Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers resumed talks of a new contract Monday night. In a joint statement, both sides said that, as promised, the NFT's negotiation team provided the board with a "comprehensive analysis of the issues" still separating them a week before last night's meeting. The union and school board spent two hours Monday night at the bargaining table discussing in "vivid detail each of the issues that remain unresolved." At the suggestion of the mediator, both sides separated to further review their proposals and positions. They discussed those positions and their relative merits with the mediator, who called for an end to the negotiations at 10 p.m. The school …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Neshaminy Federation of Teachers will meet with district Parent-Teacher Organization tonight.
The Neshaminy Federations and officers of the district Parent-Teacher Organization will meet Wednesday night for a question and answer-style meeting. According to Phillyburbs, the focus of the meeting will be the ongoing contract impasse between the NFT and school board. NFT President Louise Boyd said that event hosted by several of the union members that have orgainzed a NFT Community Outreach Team with the support of the NFT officers. Though it is not open to the public, the meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the NFT's office in Middletown. Do you think this meeting should be open to the public and press? Have you been invited to attend this meeting? What questions do you plan to ask?
Friday, November 9, 2012
The Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers made progress in Thursday night's negotiation session, but key obstacles remain.
Thursday night, the Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers participated in "positive dialogue" and made "important strides toward resolution ofthe 5-year contract impasse." However, school board President Ritchie Webb said that two important issues remain at large. “The NFT proposal for special education class size adds $2 million to our annual operating budget. Not only is that unaffordable, we also believe that the NFT plan violates State guidelines thus making it an unviable program,” he stated. The other issue, Webb said, involves contract language, specifically regarding equal say, status quo and past practices. “The board remains committed to creating an environment that respects the work and professionalism of …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Neshaminy School Board rejected the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers' counter offer Wednesday night.
During Wednesday night's negotiation session, the Neshaminy School Board rejected the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers' counter offer to the board's Council Rock proposal. The NFT presented the school board with its 70-page counter offer to the board in their Oct. 11 negotiation session. At that time, school board President Ritchie Webb said that despite the counter offer's added costs and language from the union's expired contract, the school board would "conduct a thorough analysis of the cost and educational impact" of the proposal before issuing an official response to the union. After last night's bargaining session, Webb stated that "the cost (of the counter offer) would be more than the Council Rock contract, and the language would …
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Neshaminy School Board has released the details of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers' counter proposal, which board President Ritchie Webb deemed "unaffordable."
Though it seems that the Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers have making progress during negotiation sessions, school board President Ritchie Webb said Monday "that is not to say that we are on the verge of a settlement." While Webb said that the school board will withhold its official response to the union's latest offer until this Wednesday's negotiation session, there are issues with the proposal that "have significant financial impact, potentially adding millions of dollars to our annual operating budget." He said that these issues render the offer "unaffordable to the district" and that any reports that the proposal is "cost neutral" to the board's Council Rock offer are "inaccurate and misleading." Aside from …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
According to school board President Ritchie Webb, it became apparent in Wednesday night's negotiation session that the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers have rejected the board's latest offer.
In Neshaminy's 57th negotiation session Wednesday night, school Board President Ritchie Webb said it became apparent that the Neshaminy Federation has rejected the board's Council Rock proposal. During the half an hour meeting, the NFT presented the board with a new proposal that takes the Council Rock salaries, but adds costs and language from the union's expired contract, "making the proposal unacceptable," Webb said. Read more: NSB Member to NFT: 'I Would Take That Offer' Despite that, Webb said that the school board will "conduct a thorough analysis of the cost and educational impact" of the proposal before issuing an official response to the union. Webb also expressed his "disappointment" that NFT leaders did not give its members the …
chris
8:19 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Really!!!!??? more ›