Peters Township School District strike panel begins meeting
The three-person arbitration panel attempting to resolve the contract dispute between Peters Township School District and its 285 teachers began meeting Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
The district’s teachers have been without a contract since Aug. 31, the first day of classes. The teachers walked off their jobs last fall for three weeks and returned to work the day after Thanksgiving.
The panel is comprised of Timothy Tietze, a Chester County attorney who is the neutral party; Gretchen Love, the district’s attorney;, and Paul Homer, a spokesman for Peters Township Federation of Teachers Local 3421, which represents the teachers. When its discussions, which have no set length, are complete, the panel has 20 days to make a final recommendation.
The district and the union then have 10 days to accept or reject the panel’s recommendation. If the panel’s proposal is rejected, then it is possible there could be a potential second, but shorter, work stoppage in May because state law requires the district get in 180 days of instruction by June 30. The union must give the district 48 hours of notice if it intends to strike again.
Shelly Belcher, a district spokeswoman, said Tuesday the arbitrators reviewed the final and best offers and supporting documents from both sides. They also agreed to hold additional sessions. Dates for those meetings have not been set, Belcher said. If the additional sessions are not successful, the panel will issue a ruling on the arbitration, she added.
“We’re looking forward to the chance to return to the table and negotiate,” said Jeannine French, school district superintendent. “I’m hopeful we can come to a positive resolution for our community and our teachers.”
Homer said Tietze agreed to let local union officials meet with French and Jennifer Murphy, assistant superintendent, in an effort to reach an agreement. If the meeting proves unsuccessful, Tietze said he will then make a ruling.
The last day of school for the district is June 23. Seniors are set to graduate June 10.
Salaries and health care costs are the major outstanding issues between the two sides. The average teacher’s salary in Peters is in excess of $70,000, the district said.