District, SVEA Agree to Enter Nonbinding Arbitration

After a recent hiccup, the Saucon Valley School District and the Saucon Valley Education Association have reached an agreement to enter nonbinding arbitration in an effort to end a nearly three-year-old contract dispute, school board solicitor/negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik announced in an email late Friday.

However, the election of new union leadership Wednesday could have an “unknown” impact on the process, Sultanik’s email cautioned.

Sultanik said the SVEA membership elected former union president Vivian Demko–an elementary school teacher–president and Robert Kachmar–a middle school teacher–vice president.

Demko was president when Saucon Valley teachers last went on strike–in 2008 and 2009–and will replace Theresa Andreucci, whose term as SVEA president “is scheduled to expire in the near future,” Sultanik said.

According to Sultanik’s email, the agreement that was recently struck calls for a private arbitration hearing to be held on July 29.

“Both the district and the association will post their final best contract offers in advance of the July hearing and there will be a 10-day public comment period that will permit members of the public to submit written and/or emailed submissions for the consideration by the arbitrator,” he said.

At the hearing, the school board and the teachers’ union will present evidence pertaining to the following issues, which Sultanik said are specified by Act 88 of 1992 (which forms the basis for collective bargaining for school employees in Pennsylvania):

(1) The public interest.

(2) The interest and welfare of the employe organization.

(3) The financial capability of the school entity.

(4) The results of negotiations between the parties prior to submission of last best contract offers.

(5) Changes in the cost of living.

(6) The existing terms and conditions of employment of the employe organization members and those of similar groups.

(7) Such other documentation as the arbitrator shall deem relevant.

“The parties have agreed to utilize the services of arbitrator Timothy Brown, Esq. Mr. Brown is an experienced labor arbitrator that has conducted many fact-findings and nonbinding arbitrations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Sultanik said.

He will have the authority to make a recommendation on an issue by issue basis, “and will further have the latitude to make recommendations on each issue that may be different than the board’s or the association’s proposals,” he added.

Brown’s decision is expected to be issued on or about Aug. 19.