No agreement reached in Peters; strike likely
In another effort to avoid a work stoppage Oct. 28, the Peters Township School District and the union representing its 285 teachers negotiated through a mediator Sunday afternoon because of the tone of the recent meetings.
Again, no agreement was reached. When a dozen or so teachers who participated in the Oct. 25 talks left the administration building on East McMurray Road, no one spoke and some of the teachers appeared visibly upset.
“All we want is a fair and equitable contract,” said Paul Homer of Peters Township Local 3431, who followed the teachers out of the building and stood talking with them in the parking lot for 15 minutes.
The district made a counter offer to the union’s last tabled offer, which the teachers did not respond to. It has also offered to proceed to fact finding, an evidentiary hearing where both parties present the most recent offers in front of a neutral party for recommendations on a final contract. The district said the union refused this offer, too.
This was the 16th time the two sides have met to discuss a new contract.
The teachers have been without a contract since school started Aug. 31. They voted unanimously on Sept. 16 to strike if a new contract was not agreed on.
More talks are scheduled for Oct. 27 – the last planned negotiations before teachers go on strike at 7 a.m. Oct. 28. The last strike in the Peters Township School District was in 2000.
Under Act 88, 180 days of school must be completed by June 15. Advisory arbitration is mandatory when a strike will prevent the 180 days of school instruction. The work stoppage must cease when both parties submit to arbitration and cannot resume until one of the parties rejects the arbitration award, according to the state Education Association.
If a strikes takes place, then the district’s calendar would be modified by taking away vacation days with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
“The district is ready for serious negotiations and we are willing to work all night on Tuesday if that’s what it takes to avoid a strike,” said Superintendent Jeannine French in a statement.