Tag: Contract talks

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Ridgewood teacher contract talks heating up

BOE_theridgewoodblog

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Tense contract negotiations between the Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) and Ridgewood Education Association (REA) ramped up this week.

“The negotiations are not going well,” said REA President Michael Yannone in a conversation with The Ridgewood News earlier this week.

While a number of issues remain to be settled, the main two are salary requirements and healthcare benefits, which are always paired in discussions, Yannone said.

“This board doesn’t believe they should have to negotiate health benefits,” Yannone said.

Without some leeway from the BOE, no progress will be made, he added.

Yannone also spoke at this week’s BOE meeting, flanked by Ridgewood teachers in a sign of solidarity.

“The teachers of this community feel disrespected,” Yannone said at the meeting. “Ridgewood was always a school district that prided itself as being at the forefront of education. Teachers felt respected here and believed their voice had value. Those days are gone.

“Teachers now feel as if they are merely nickels and dimes — a revenue stream for this board — with money going out, and more and more employee money coming back to this board,” he said.

This drew a standing ovation from the assembled crowd of teachers, who so packed the Education Center meeting room that many had to stand.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/contract-negotiations-heating-up-1.1418121

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Nothing like a 100 Million dollar Ridgewood School Budget

BOE_theridgewoodblog

Do it fer da kidz

September 11, 2015

Dear Parent or Guardian:

In July, the Ridgewood Board of Education (RBOE) announced that contract negotiations with the Ridgewood Education Association (REA), which began in February 2015, were moving from official mediation through the NJ Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to the fact-finding stage, also through PERC.  Our first fact-finding session will be held on September 16, 2015.

During this time, the teachers and secretaries continue to receive their full salaries and benefits and work under the terms, conditions and protections of the expired contract that began on July 1, 2012, and ended on June 30, 2015.

It is important to remember that our teachers and secretaries are working within the contractually specified hours listed below and that drop-off and pick-up times at our schools must be followed:

Elementary schools:  8 a.m.-3:35 p.m.

PLEASE DO NOT DROP YOUR CHILD OFF PRIOR TO 8:35 A.M. AND PICK UP AT 3 P.M.

Middle schools: 7:45 a.m.-3:20 p.m.

PLEASE DO NOT DROP YOUR CHILD OFF PRIOR TO 7:45 A.M. AND PICK UP AT 2:55 P.M.

Ridgewood High School:  7:40 a.m.-3:15 p.m.

DROP OFF AND PICK UP WILL BE THE SAME

In addition, please understand that during this stage in the negotiations, teachers may decline to do some activities that fall outside of the contract.  For example, they may decline to chaperone overnight/after school field trips, decline to participate or volunteer in activities that they had in the past, or may adhere to the 7.5 hour daily contract hours by arriving and leaving on time each school day.  If any such actions occur that result in changes or cancellation of certain activities, school principals and other administrators will explain the reason why.

Many parents have offered to volunteer and take over these responsibilities.  Some activities can be sponsored or supervised by parents, while others can’t for various insurance and personal liability reasons.  Please see your principal for guidance.

While changes to activities may be an unfortunate reality during this period, it is important to stress that the RBOE and REA are working towards an agreement that satisfies both parties.  Throughout the State of New Jersey, negotiations are taking place between teacher associations and Boards of Education.  The vast majority of contract negotiations, almost 80 percent, are not completed prior to the expiration of the preceding contract.

Finally, if the fact-finder is unsuccessful in mediating an agreement, both parties will present their “case,” and a written report will be prepared that will be made public 10 days after they receive his non-binding findings.

Thank you in advance for your understanding as the RBOE and REA work through this process and complete the negotiations in the shortest time possible.

Sincerely,

Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools