BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A state-appointed super conciliator will try this month to settle a labor dispute between the Board of Education and the district teachers’ union that’s left teachers working without a contract for more than a year.
There have been a number of disagreements throughout the 18 months of negotiations. But arguments over salaries, proposed changes to the union’s insurance plan and how much Ridgewood Education Association members must contribute to their health-insurance premiums have created deep rifts that two previous state mediators were unable to patch.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-teacher-talks-set-1.1628758
Stick to your position BOE, the bullying by the REA and their full-time backers from the NJEA is disgusting and in bad faith. These are not good faith negotiations, and the teachers are being unreasonable in their demands on health benefit plans, wage increases, and pensions. Support the BOE, support Ridgewood taxpayers, and support our students. These teachers have lost so much credibility in our community through their actions, words, and greed.
Ridgewood schools used to be excellent – which is why property taxes are high. Now, not so much; the teachers are milking the reputation of excellence despite not being excellent themselves.
Enough already! Ridgewood taxpayers can’t take much more. Hold your ground BOE! Let the demanding overpaid teachers walk and replace them with plenty of new ones waiting in the wings willing to make a fresh start.
BOE stay tough against union thugs.
This commenter is aware of a long-tenured RHS teacher in an important academic subject (won’t get any more specific than that) that was on full mail-it-in mode all year, for no good reason. Near the end of the year, it got even worse. The teacher’s students suffered needlessly, particularly grade-wise. Like, all of them. We need new blood. Teacher misbehavior in light of this contract dispute has gotten out of hand in terms of its spitefulness. Ridgewood residents and taxpayers should not allow themselves to forget this…
1:5pm – was that in the science department because my son was in a class where videos and worksheets were the ONLY instruction used by one teacher for the entire year in an honors course. Not a single lecture was given all year. The homework was similar…videos and worksheets with broken links to websire. Full waste of my child’s year.
Despicable
Either we agree to continue providing gold-plated health care coverage or they stop teaching (while continuing to pick up a check). What a racket.
No, 7:33pm, not science. Different department.