Philadelphia area attorney named to Peters panel
Timothy Tietze, a Philadelphia area attorney and veteran arbitrator, has been selected as the neutral third-party member of the panel tasked with coming up with an acceptable labor agreement for Peters Township School District’s 285 teachers.
The selection of Tietze means that the nonbinding arbitration between the district and its teachers can begin in earnest. Tietze and his fellow panel members Gretchen Love, the district’s solicitor during its contract talks last fall, and Paul Homer, a staff representative of Peters Township Federation of Teachers Local 3431, as of Jan. 25 have 10 days to schedule hearings to receive final and best offers from the two sides. A written decision must be issued within 20 days after the hearings are completed.
“We look forward to getting back into the negotiation process, and we are hopeful for a quick and positive resolution for our students, staff and community,” said Jeannine French, Peters superintendent.
District teachers walked off their jobs in late October and remained on strike for three weeks before returning to work Nov. 27. The central issues between the two sides are salaries and health-care costs.
Because school was not in session for three weeks, the last day of school is currently set for June 22. Commencement is still scheduled for June 10.
During the arbitration process, which could take 60 days, teachers are not allowed to conduct a second work stoppage. But, because the arbitration is nonbinding, either side could reject it, and that could mean a second strike.
Tietze, who is based in Exton, Chester County, has been an administrative law judge with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board for 17 years. He has held settlement negotiations, conducted hearings concerning unfair labor practices and subsequent compliance issues, and resolved pre-hearing issues.
He received his law degree in 1980 from Widener University School of Law.