EMMAUS, Pa. — More than 100 members and supporters of the East Penn Schools teachers union sounded off Monday to the School Board on what they want in a contract — and why they overwhelmingly rejected the district's most recent offer.
District officials say discussions began in January and bargaining continued through May. A proposed contract presented to East Penn Education Association in late June was rejected in a 367-11 vote according to its leadership.
Union Chief Negotiator Chris Ritter, an Emmaus High School math teacher, learned the board was set to share the proposal at Monday's meeting, and said they wished to show support as a result.
"I think they thought they were giving us a good deal," Ritter said.
"This report is a response to an engaged community that cares about the school district and is also designed to address inaccuracies circulating in our community that unfairly misrepresent the district's position in these talks."East Penn School Board President Joshua Levinson
"The way our vote turned out, where it was overwhelmingly rejected, I think that hopefully opened their eyes a little bit to what needs to happen to continue negotiations and try and get a deal done."
A statement delivered by board President Joshua Levinson walked through the district's offers at the meeting, without additional comments from other board members.
Levinson said fiscal responsibility was at the forefront of the board's decision-making process to manage the long-term financial landscape of the district "to ensure that we meet our many goals and stakeholder priorities."
"This report is a response to an engaged community that cares about the school district and is also designed to address inaccuracies circulating in our community that unfairly misrepresent the district's position in these talks," Levinson said.
Competitiveness a focus
The district's statement said the four-year agreement proposed salary increases for the next four years at 4.25%, 3.75%, 3.75% and 3.5%.
Cocurricular and coaching stipends would increase 2% per year.
It also includes insurance changes, bereavement and severance pay changes and reimbursement window changes.
The district's report calls the offered salary increases "historically high" for the district and competitive for the region, with a boost to starting salary steps.
It states that the salary schedules included in the proposal were developed by the association with "some minor changes" to create a "mutually agreeable compromise" built from the union's model.
In contrast, association members and their supporters pointed to competitiveness with other districts as a concern for the contract in its current proposed form.
Also, it noted funds for administrators' salaries in the most recent Long Range Fiscal and Capital plan are projected to increase 4%, 4%, 4% and 3.6% for the next four years.
Ritter said a proposal by the association regarding salary would keep the district's compensation competitive with most districts in the area and fits within the already-approved budget.
Laughing at proposals
A controversial item that got a sarcastic laugh from the crowd for its lack of support was the increasing of the teacher work day by 10 minutes, to 7 hours 30 minutes "in response to teachers' repeated calls for time to address their many professional responsibilities without compromising instructional time."
That would come with a reduction in the number of school days from 192 to 191.
"Any teacher out there knows the role of a teacher has changed dramatically over the last many years. So when they talk about asking for more time, we do need more time to do our job and do it well. But that didn't necessarily mean that we were going to need to add 10 minutes onto a day. We need different types of working conditions within the day."East Penn Education Association President Lori Miller
Ritter and association President Lori Miller said those items got the reaction they did because working an extra 10 minutes for an entire year in return for only one-day results in a net increase in worked time.
"Any teacher out there knows the role of a teacher has changed dramatically over the last many years," Miller said. "So when they talk about asking for more time, we do need more time to do our job and do it well.
"But that didn't necessarily mean that we were going to need to add 10 minutes onto a day. We need different types of working conditions within the day."
Another item that got the same reaction, seen as inadequate, was a $1,000 one-time bonus for all staff proposed for the first year to help restore some wages missed by a pay freeze instituted for the 2020-21 school year.
Ritter said there are other items the union is looking for in terms of working conditions, which would stay private at this point in the process.
He said all compensated professional responsibilities still are being completed during the summer by union members, but that any volunteer roles such as staying late or running student organizations as a volunteer are not to be done by union members until an agreement is reached.
Some non-teacher members of the community also spoke to the board to voice support for educators.
Nancy Salomon, a mother of three East Penn students whose son Craig died by suicide in 2020, spoke to the need to support teachers because of their proven ability to support families such as hers in difficult times, and the difficulty of navigating children through tragedies and challenges such as her family experienced.
"Those individuals have taken two salary freezes," Salomon said. "And if it's continued to be reduced, and now they're making less than comparable districts like Parkland, and our board won't even negotiate a fair and reasonable contract.
"Now we're losing teachers to other districts."
Those in attendance in the union wore buttons that read "A fair contract makes us #EastPennProud" and wore all black.
Optimism for deal
"We are looking for a fair contract," Miller said. "One that allows staff to plan for the future and that reflects our value as respected professionals in the East Penn Community."
She and other speakers cited the pay freeze taken by teachers in 2011 and again during COVID-19 as proof of their dedication.
"Despite our inability to reach an agreement at this time, we plan to continue to reach out to the association to discuss future meetings and next steps."East Penn School Board President Joshua Levinson
Miller stated that while the association was ready to discuss starting in September, the board's team did not agree to meet until January.
However, association reps said they are optimistic that a contract agreement can happen once the parties return to the bargaining table.
"Without hesitation, we put the districts and the students' needs first over our own needs and our family's financial needs," Miller said.
"I think we can definitely get a contract done. But I just want them to recognize the value and the worth of this association and everything we do day in and day out for our students in this community."
The board said it shared those beliefs, and echoed support for its own offer, but acknowledged more work will be done.
"It is our sincere belief that after one's careful evaluation of this offer and comparison to the prior contract and to other contracts in our region, the district's offer represents an attractive proposal that recognizes the value of our teachers and that truly meets the goals of these negotiations — i.e., fair, competitive and equitable," Levinson said, reading from the statement.
"Despite our inability to reach an agreement at this time, we plan to continue to reach out to the association to discuss future meetings and next steps.
"As we work through the remaining negotiations, we remain optimistic about reaching a resolution that serves the best interests of our teachers, our students, and our school community.
The board's statement also pointed to the approval of budget priorities of teachers, support staff, and other items as an example of the board's commitment to the community.
