Negotiations drag on between Norwich teachers and district
NORWICH – Norwich teachers have been working under an expired contract for more than a year and a half, and the president of the local teachers’ union is concerned that it could be several more months before a new agreement is reached. The district shares that concern.
The protracted negotiations between the Norwich City School District and the Norwich Educators Organization hit another snag this month, when the parties failed to reach an agreement in mediation.
“At this point it is starting to hurt people (financially),” said Dr. Bruce Race, president of the Norwich Educators Organization.
It is not just the teachers, but the district as well, that would like to see an agreement in place.
“The district needs a contract with the teachers,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan.
But after three sessions with Cliff Dunn, the state-approved mediator who helped the district and the school support staff union reach an agreement earlier this year, the parties were still unable to reach mutually agreeable terms.
Percentage increases in salary, employee health care contributions and the proposed reallocation of a portion of unassigned/preparation time in the high school are the main sticking points.
Further complicating matters is the current economic situation, and the anticipation of cuts in state education aid.
That economic climate is much different today than when negotiations began nearly two years ago, said O’Sullivan.
The offer the district had put on the table was a 4.25 percent salary increase with a total increase in the employee health care contribution of 5 percent over the five year life of the contract. Retirees would receive a $3,000 lump sum payment to cover health care premiums until they turned 65. But part of the deal was that high school teachers would need to give up 40 minutes of the 120 they currently have as unassigned/prep time. Instead, they would use that time for additional duties like monitoring study halls and lunchrooms.
According to Race, this last item was the deal breaker. The NEO president said the union was willing to accept the reallocation, but not if it was an additional teaching contact point. The state requires at least 5, they are already teaching 6 at the high school, he said. Adding a seventh would require the union’s approval, something he is not willing to give at this point.
Race also claimed that this could be used to cut support staff positions who might otherwise be taking on these responsibilities, something O’Sullivan vehemently denies.
“They (teachers) have a powerful impact and a great relationship with the students, and we are looking to leverage that more than anything,” O’Sullivan said. “No one is looking to eliminate positions.”
The superintendent also disagreed with Race’s claim that the parties were close to a deal during mediation. For the district, he explained, it is not a case of settling on one or two points, but rather considering the financial implications of the entire contract particularly in the uncertain economic climate.
“We have to look at the whole package,” he said.
What is the next step in the contract negotiation process?
“We are going into fact-finding,” explained the superintendent. Each side will prepare position statements for Dunn, who will review them and make a recommendation. The mediator’s recommendations will be non-binding, which means the union and the district will still have to agree before a contract is finalized.
While the district supports this move, the NEO is less sure.
“We don’t need to go to fact-finding,” Race said. The union leader said he felt they had been close to an agreement in mediation and would rather continue on with negotiations rather than eat up additional time with fact-finding.
“It could be three or four months out before we have any idea what the next step is,” he explained. And he doesn’t want to see the teachers continuing on that long without a new agreement in place.
O’Sullivan reported that they are waiting for direction from Dunn, who will determine the timeline for the fact-finding process.
Norwich City Schools is represented in the negotiating process by a team of four: O’Sullivan, Deputy Superintendent Margaret Boice, Human Resources Director Kim Perez and district representative Wes Thompson from BOCES.
The NEO is represented by eight individuals, including Dr. Race and labor relations specialist Michael Rohrbach with the New York State United Teachers.
The protracted negotiations between the Norwich City School District and the Norwich Educators Organization hit another snag this month, when the parties failed to reach an agreement in mediation.
“At this point it is starting to hurt people (financially),” said Dr. Bruce Race, president of the Norwich Educators Organization.
It is not just the teachers, but the district as well, that would like to see an agreement in place.
“The district needs a contract with the teachers,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan.
But after three sessions with Cliff Dunn, the state-approved mediator who helped the district and the school support staff union reach an agreement earlier this year, the parties were still unable to reach mutually agreeable terms.
Percentage increases in salary, employee health care contributions and the proposed reallocation of a portion of unassigned/preparation time in the high school are the main sticking points.
Further complicating matters is the current economic situation, and the anticipation of cuts in state education aid.
That economic climate is much different today than when negotiations began nearly two years ago, said O’Sullivan.
The offer the district had put on the table was a 4.25 percent salary increase with a total increase in the employee health care contribution of 5 percent over the five year life of the contract. Retirees would receive a $3,000 lump sum payment to cover health care premiums until they turned 65. But part of the deal was that high school teachers would need to give up 40 minutes of the 120 they currently have as unassigned/prep time. Instead, they would use that time for additional duties like monitoring study halls and lunchrooms.
According to Race, this last item was the deal breaker. The NEO president said the union was willing to accept the reallocation, but not if it was an additional teaching contact point. The state requires at least 5, they are already teaching 6 at the high school, he said. Adding a seventh would require the union’s approval, something he is not willing to give at this point.
Race also claimed that this could be used to cut support staff positions who might otherwise be taking on these responsibilities, something O’Sullivan vehemently denies.
“They (teachers) have a powerful impact and a great relationship with the students, and we are looking to leverage that more than anything,” O’Sullivan said. “No one is looking to eliminate positions.”
The superintendent also disagreed with Race’s claim that the parties were close to a deal during mediation. For the district, he explained, it is not a case of settling on one or two points, but rather considering the financial implications of the entire contract particularly in the uncertain economic climate.
“We have to look at the whole package,” he said.
What is the next step in the contract negotiation process?
“We are going into fact-finding,” explained the superintendent. Each side will prepare position statements for Dunn, who will review them and make a recommendation. The mediator’s recommendations will be non-binding, which means the union and the district will still have to agree before a contract is finalized.
While the district supports this move, the NEO is less sure.
“We don’t need to go to fact-finding,” Race said. The union leader said he felt they had been close to an agreement in mediation and would rather continue on with negotiations rather than eat up additional time with fact-finding.
“It could be three or four months out before we have any idea what the next step is,” he explained. And he doesn’t want to see the teachers continuing on that long without a new agreement in place.
O’Sullivan reported that they are waiting for direction from Dunn, who will determine the timeline for the fact-finding process.
Norwich City Schools is represented in the negotiating process by a team of four: O’Sullivan, Deputy Superintendent Margaret Boice, Human Resources Director Kim Perez and district representative Wes Thompson from BOCES.
The NEO is represented by eight individuals, including Dr. Race and labor relations specialist Michael Rohrbach with the New York State United Teachers.
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