Saucon Valley Education Association members met Wednesday for a lengthy discussion about their union’s ongoing contract talks with the school board–and made no decisions–although they “expressed optimism with the board’s latest proposal,” chief negotiator Rich Simononis said in a statement issued Wednesday night.
Simononis cited “a few concerns” that were expressed by members, however, and explained in an email that one of them is “excise tax language which was recently added” to the proposal.
Due to the confidential nature of the talks the context for that language is unclear, although Simononis said in his statement that “there are language issues that at best need work on both sides and at worst might be illegal.”
Simononis said the other concerns he alluded to “would be best addressed at an actual bargaining session.”
When the next bargaining session will take place is unknown, but he stated that the SVEA is “ready, willing and waiting” to meet with the school board, which has labeled its current proposal its “bottom line offer.”
Last month the Saucon Valley School Board included an expiration date of April 10 along with that proposal, and warned the union that it would be withdrawn in favor of an earlier, less generous proposal if it is not accepted by then.
“Currently, the school board refuses to meet,” Simononis said in the news release. “Many (SVEA) members are interested in a full proposal, not piecemeal, in the form of a tentative agreement.”
“The Saucon Valley Education Association has requested binding arbitration, nonbinding arbitration and fact-finding, all in an attempt to bring this conflict to resolution,” he stated. “The school board has refused all inquiries. When does this end?”
After more than three years of contract talks, and nearly three years since the last teacher contract expired, many Saucon Valley parents and taxpayers are asking the same question.
