Ridgewood NJ, After a long, drawn-out negotiations process between the village’s Board of Education (BOE) and the Ridgewood Education Association (REA) Ridgewood teachers may finally have a contract.
Ridgewood teachers have been working without a contract since June of 2015.The major hang up of the often heated discussions have been the teachers’ primary demand to reduce their healthcare premium contributions and the BOE’s reluctance to do so.
Joel M. Weisblatt, the state-appointed fact-finder, released his recommendations for an agreement between the sides on the evening of May 31.
The Ridgewood news is reporting that REA President Mike Yannone has told told them that his organization has accepted the recommendations of the fact-finder for a settlement, the BOE has not responded yet.
The Fact finder found :”The amount that teachers contribute to healthcare premiums will remain the same. Weisblatt explained there is an “absence of sufficient evidence” regarding the need to change the current structure, though he did recommend that teachers and secretaries who remain at the “top step” of the contribution level receive some compensation to defray the costs.”
For it’s part the BOE will discuss the report and recommendations at their Monday, June 6 board meeting. The members will then vote on whether to accept the recommendations or not.
“In accordance with New Jersey P.L. 2003, c. 126, the Board has made the May 16th Fact-finding Report and Recommendations public and has posted it to the District’s website. At the June 6th Board of Education Public Meeting, the Board will discuss the report and the recommendations. The Board will accept or reject the Fact-finder’s recommendations at that time. Click here to read the Fact Finders Report and Recommendations dated May 16, 2016..”
BOE Meets on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at BFMS Auditorium
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
The Regular Public Meeting, originally scheduled to be held in the Board Room at the Education Center, will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Auditorium at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Action will be taken at this meeting.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at BFMS or view it live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.
Click here to view the agenda and addendum for the May 16, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the minutes of the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the 2016-2017 Budget presented at the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.
Who will pay the 40% excise tax on “platinum” health benefit plans from 2020~? If the BOE can’t answer that then they cannot sign this contract, period.
We need to support the BOE and the Students. Everyone’s kids has suffered due to these teachers union this year. Class trips and after school programs are suffering. The private sectors healthcare is exploding also with no relief for us. Copays of $45, for each visit, teachers and all civil servants all need to pay their fare share and understand the pain and suffering that we are all paying more for. We are not getting raises to cover these increases nor should they. While we’re talking on this subject let’s move all to 401K plans. The system can’t handle all the retirees benefits. We will collapse soon, work 25 years then collect retirement for 35 years? Use them or lose them…no more taking $100,000s of dollars in unused sick time and vacation accrued, this is absurd. I support reasonable demands and expect our BOE professionals not to cave on unrealistic demands. Don’t get me wrong I do support teachers but can’t wait for those signs to go away!
Support Ridgewood Teachers should really say Support Ridgewood Taxpayers
Payment for unused sick time needs to go away wherever it still remains. People’s pay should not be docked when they are ill but paying for unused sick days after the fact has a bad effect by encouraging people to go to work when they should be in bed.
Unrealistic demands from teachers. It’s obvious the taxpayers have had enough. If they can’t be reasonable then they can find new jobs. Many would love the chance to work in this school system. I do not like Christie but the one thing I think he is right on is the public pension problem. NJ is in big trouble.
“Use it or lose it” is reality in the private sector for sick leave, and we’re also paying taxes to subsidize these teachers benefits. In the public sector, sick leave accumulates year after year as “accumulated leave”, and then up to 50% of it gets paid out at the final comp rate, i.e. at your highest career salary rate, not at the salary rate when the leave was originally awarded. If the BOE agrees to this, they are cheating Village of Ridgewood taxpayers. #taxedtodeath
I wonder what CRR, CBR and Friends of Schedler stance is on BOE contract? That’s 65% of our property taxes, so a pretty major issue for all Villagers. Instead the Council agenda is to protect a bald eagle nesting on a property the Village shouldn’t even own and that only benefits a few residents?
the Bald eagle is an endangered species , it could mean JAIL time for promoters of killing and destroying its habitat,btw that mean you
James, what does have to do with the Village? Why are taxpayer dollars involved in protecting a bald eagle habitat?
the Bald eagle is an endangered species , it could mean JAIL time for promoters of killing and destroying its habitat,btw that mean you!
“Impossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
Again James, what business does Village taxpayer money have to do with protecting a bald eagle habitat? Seems like this property was bought by the Village under false pretenses, and now the neighbors, including the parents of one of our Council members, are claiming the property can’t be developed for, among other reasons, a bald eagle that is nesting there. So the Village should sell the property, that’s only fair to all Villagers, not just those living near Schedler. Or are you not laissez-faire?
Protecting a bald eagle habitat is reason for the Village to own this property? That’s not the original reason the property was bought James, funny how the residents have turned this in to a protected species issue at the expense of all Village taxpayers.
“Use it or lose it” sick leave policy not only applies to the private sector but also to all federal employees and some state/local employees. The teachers need to give up on this one.
#SupportRidgewoodTaxpayers