Board president comments on teachers' strike

Neshaminy School Board President, Ritchie Webb, issued the following statement in reaction to the strike declaration made today by the Neshaminy Federation of teachers:

“Earlier today, the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) declared a strike beginning on Monday, January 9th.

By instituting a job action aimed at our children and their parents, the NFT’s actions are inflicting financial harm and inconvenience to families in our district. As school board president, I am also concerned that our teachers are causing irreparable harm to their reputation within the Neshaminy community.

Most of the issues in our contract dispute with the NFT concern money, but a strike won’t put a single dime into our coffers. The key to settling this impasse is not to deny our children their education. The answer lies in understanding the economic times in which we live, and having the willingness to negotiate an affordable contract.

The Neshaminy School Board will continue to negotiate in good faith with the NFT, however we will not tolerate any behavior which exploits our students. For now I have notified our attorney, Mr. Sweet, to immediately suspend any further negotiations with the NFT.

I urge all members of the Neshaminy community to stand with us during this difficult time. I ask that you call NFT headquarters to demand they end this strike immediately, and return to the bargaining table willing to negotiate an affordable contract.

The NFT’s phone number is 215-547-2001.”
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STRIKE!

Yes folks, believe it or not the NFT has once again raised the stakes in this high tension game of contract negotiations. Perpetrating a work-to-contract action against your children is no longer enough, so now Neshaminy's teachers are depriving children of their education by instituting a strike effective on Monday.

Make no mistake about it, this job action is aimed directly at YOU! But now is an opportunity for this community to draw a line in the sand. We can no longer remain quiet while the school board fights the battle to save our children's educational programs. It's time to stand up and vocally support our school board.

The school board is asking community members to call the NFT headquarters at 215-547-2001 demanding they end this strike immediately, and settle on an affordable contract.

Here is an announcement that was posted on the school board's website just a short time ago . . .

The Nesaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) announced today that our teachers will be striking effective Monday, January 9th.

Please visit the school district website at http://www.neshaminy.k12.pa.us for important updates.

We urge every member of our community to contact NFT Headquarters at 215-547-2001 and demand that teachers immediately end this job action aimed at our children, and return to the bargaining table ready to negotiate an affordable contract.

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NFT's scorched Earth strategy

The ballot below was distributed by the NFT to teachers in at least one of our elementary schools recently. Although not a binding vote, this paper asks teachers if they should target a strike during our PSSA's.

Perhaps union officials see no harm in asking, but the Board finds it reprehensible that the NFT would even consider targeting our students and the educational well-being of the district as a form of intimidation.

NFT Strike Form 122011

Playwickian questions NSB, NFT on contract

Playwickian Article 11222011

Thank you

This Tuesday will be my final meeting as your representative to the Neshaminy School Board. It has been my honor and privilege to have served our community over the last four years, and I truly appreciate the support and confidence you have shown me during this time.

Unfortunately as my term ends, so does the Neshaminy Info blog and Facebook group page. While I have been pleased to share both news and my opinions via these resources, I can no longer devote the time necessary to maintaining them. I thank all of you who frequented these websites over the years.

Neshaminy is a very special place, full of very special people. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the members of this wonderful community.

Regards,

William O'Connor
Neshaminy School Board Director
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Board doesn’t see any significant change in NFT offer

Meeting #36 lasted 90 minutes, with the mediator spending the first 20 minutes with the NFT, and the final 70 minutes with the Board’s Negotiation Team.

The mediator presented the NFT’s counter proposal which included the following highlights:
• Full reinstatement of salary steps
• 80% of retroactive pay (instead of 100%)
• As of 7/1/2012, Masters Equivalency (MEQ’s) courses will be approved by joint committee equally represented by district staff and federation members

After flatly rejecting the offer for 80% of retro pay, the Board did agree to carefully review and consider the NFT counter proposal but noted they didn not see any significant change in the NFT’s position.

Both sides agreed to further talks on December 6th and December 14th.
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NSB fires back at SLCS

NSB Press Release SLCS 10282011

Board Prez: NFT claims of uncommitted funds are "numbers out of a hat"

NSB Press Release Uncommitted Funds 10202011

New round of talks scheduled

Representatives from the School Board and NFT will meet on Tuesday, November 1st at 6pm for further negotiations.
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The $62 million ticking time bomb

As the NSB and NFT continue negotiating salary and benefits, there is one not-so-little issue that everyone better keep an eye on – The Public School Employees Retirement System, or PSERS. With the long anticipated hike in employer contribution rates almost upon us, Pennsylvania school districts are looking at rate increases from the current 8.65% up to 12.19% next year, and as high as 26.26% in the 2020/2021 school year.

Just how bad can it get for tax payers? Well, if you gotta ask . . .

Our district’s annual payroll for teachers is $50,202,222. Multiplied by the current employer contribution rate of 8.65%, this means Neshaminy’s contribution for this year will be approximately $4,325,000.

Now let’s just assume teacher salaries remained exactly where they are for the following 9 school years. Even with a flat payroll in 2012/2013, the increase in the PSERS employer rate means that Neshaminy’s contribution will jump by a little under $1.8 million to $6,119,650. And it gets worse as the employer rate jumps. By the 2020/2021 school year, the 26.26% rate translates into a $13.2 million contribution, which is $8.8 million more than what we are contributing now.

When you add it all up, over the following 9 years Neshaminy tax payers will be fitting the bill for a staggering $62,608,994 in increased employer PSERS contributions. And that’s assuming teachers don’t get any salary hikes between now and then.

Of course we could pray that Harrisburg comes up with some magic bullet fix to PSERS without bankrupting tax payers, but we cannot plan on that. So for now, every contract offer that increases teacher salaries must also be viewed in light of its potential impact on our employer contribution.

And in the midst of all this, we still have a school district to run.

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NFT claims credit for class size

Soon after Ritchie Webb's Monday clarification on class size, the NFT stepped right in to take credit by telling Patch.com they were pleased to learn that the Board has taken the possibility of class size increases off of the table "following NFT leafleting and contacts with parents about the issue."

The NFT would have you believe that the pressure they applied somehow manipulated the Board into making a decision we didn't want to make, but nothing could be further from the truth. They've used far more aggressive tactics that have accomplished nothing, so it's ludicrous to believe their handing out of leaflets had anything to do with the Board's decision regarding class size.

In reality, credit for this decision rests with the Board's negotiation team and the Citizen's Advisory Panel. During their review of the collective bargaining agreement several months ago, it was agreed that nobody wanted to see an increase in class size and so this issue was removed from consideration.

Although some confusion was caused by the circulation of an incorrect version of the last offer to the NFT, it doesn't alter what the Board intended nor does it change who is responsible for the idea.

Let's give credit to where it is truly do in this case ... Thank you to the Citizen's Advisory Panel for putting the concerns of our students above of all else.
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Playwickian earns award

Congratulations to the 2010-2011 Neshaminy High School Playwickian editors and staff writers for receiving the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Medal Certificate of Excellence for High School Journalism.

The CSPA judges stated, “What a delightful read! Your coverage is fair and diverse and really covers all aspects of your school and community. Your paper is engaged in what is going on at school and around you.”

The CSPA has critiqued The Playwickian for the past 35 years and has received a Gold Medal for an outstanding 24 years.
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Webb: Board won't increase class size

In an effort to clarify the Board’s position on the issue of class size, Ritchie Webb today reaffirmed that the Neshaminy School Board has no intentions of increasing elementary or secondary school class sizes as outlined in the last teachers' contract. The only change sought by the board concerns adoption of the State Board/Department of Education recommendations as they relate to special education case loads.

Webb said, “at the very next issuance of a Board contract proposal to the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers, we will include clear language that will put aside any concerns the public may have regarding elementary or secondary school class sizes.”

Webb added that he hopes this clarification will bring an end to those people trying to exploit the issue in an effort to draw attention away from the many key outstanding issues which are part of the current negotiations with the NFT.
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Not nice in Neshaminy

An editorial in today's Courier Times . . .

Not nice in Neshaminy

“Never let a crisis go to waste ...” That advice, famously offered by former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, seems to have resonated with the Neshaminy teachers union, whose leaders are getting lots of mileage out of a shoving incident at the high school.

Details are scarce, but the shoving match allegedly involved a high school secretary and a union leader. A criminal complaint was filed by the union.

We’re not dismissing the seriousness of the incident. If a union leader was shoved, as the union contends, it’s a serious infraction — if not criminal — and district officials are obliged to take disciplinary action if police determine that the secretary was the aggressor. That said, union officials are using the incident in an opportunistic way — to blame a school board member’s private blog as well as board inaction for inflaming the community.

This is what can happen, union Vice President Anne Schmidt said, if the school board allows “open season on teachers.” Schmidt was referring to comments on board member William O’Connor’s blog — some of them not very nice. She also referenced public comments at school board meetings, some of which union officials say are either false, inflammatory or both. They said that by letting the comments go unchallenged, the school board is allowing animosity to build up within the community regarding the district’s longstanding contract dispute with the teachers.

There’s some logic to Schmidt’s argument. But her charge against O’Connor and the board absolves the union of any responsibility for ill will. We’ll accept that there is ill will, because to deny it is to deny reality. After four years of acrimony between the union and the board — including two work slowdowns and a boycott of last year’s Back-to-School Nights — well, yeah, the community is a little ticked off. That residents are wearing T-shirts to board meetings in support of the board says something about the community’s feelings.

But let’s not forget that teachers clad in union T-shirts have been a regular part of meetings for some time now. And those union members are hardly silent. Likewise, the union has hardly been understanding of the difficult financial situation both the district and district families are in.
The “Great Recession” is taking its toll on the incomes of both. Yet the union’s demands reflect not today’s tough times, but the boom years of earlier decades. No wonder the community has gotten fed up and perhaps ill tempered.

Still, we’re not excusing bad behavior; it’s simply not acceptable. To that end, the board has a responsibility to address the inaccurate comments of misinformed citizens speaking at meetings. People need to know the truth so misinformation doesn’t unfairly bias anybody.

O’Connor’s situation is a little more dicey. Policing blog comments can be a time-consuming, frustrating and thankless task. We know of what we speak. But if you’re going to invite commentary, the least you should do is remove threatening and tasteless commentary. We trust O’Connor has the sensibility to know what’s acceptable and what’s not.

While we agree with O’Connor that “people are responsible for their own actions,” when people act irresponsibly, those in authority must step in. That goes for board members and union officials alike.
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Miscellaneous musings

Yesterday’s NFT press conference blamed the district, the board, and yours truly for “indirectly” causing “increasingly dangerous acts against members of the NFT.” Their evidence – several allegedly defaced lawn signs, and a shoving incident between a secretary and a teacher last week. Oddly enough, the only documented evidence of a problem between a teacher and a parent/tax payer occurred in Levittown, where the spouse of a teacher was observed removing a pro school board lawn sign from the resident’s lawn.

Undoubtedly union officials will blame this spouse's actions on reading my blog and Facebook page.

Patch.com has the NFT press conference posted on their website.

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Regarding last week’s shoving match, while I cannot comment on the specifics, I must say that I’m shocked the NFT will throw a member of their sister union, NESPA, under the bus publicly just so they can make a baseless accusation against the Board. Should the NFT ever go on strike, I wonder how many members of NESPA, if any, will stand by them on the picket line.

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The irony of this confrontation between secretary and teacher is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the school board or bloggers or the angry vocal minority. There is so much more going on here than meets the eye.

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And for today’s “REALLY?!?” award … To Anne Schmidt for even hinting that things could escalate to the point of what happened to US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

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During last night’s Board meeting, Kim Koutsouradis challenged the NFT leaders to allow a 3rd party to count the votes at the upcoming union elections. Excellent idea, and I hope union officials will take that idea and run with it.

Since there are many teachers at the upper end of our compensation scale who will want to protect those retirement perks, I do think current leaders will survive their election. But if they see a significant amount of discontent among the rank and file, perhaps that will alter their approach to negotiations.

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Yes, you heard right. The cost of NFT retirement perks, including the $27.5k payout and free insurance, have cost tax payers around $40 million since they were implemented. It's one thing to ask residents to share the financial burden of public education, but it's something entirely different when not one dime of that burden ever finds its way into the classroom to the benefit of children.

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Last night I incorrectly stated that an arbitrator concluded that harassment occurred in the case of a union official confronting another teacher regarding back to school night last year. In his ruling, the arbitrator reduced the 5-day suspension down to 1-day, and said that in his opinion this incident “was not harassment … because an ordinary person, although perhaps very annoyed, would not have found it harassing.” The arbitrator added his opinion that the union official did not intend to harass their colleague to the point they could not perform their job, and actually went to the classroom "for the exact opposite purpose." The arbitrator concluded that the District did have a right to “impose discipline for the Grievant’s unwelcome classroom visit.”

I regret the misstatement.

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To resident Lee Kirsh who last night stated that nice comments about teachers posted on my Facebook page seem to disappear - how about a little proof, please. Can you have someone contact me and provide details of any "nice" comments that were deleted? You see, I do not delete comments simply because they may come from someone who disagrees with me. And I certainly don't purge positive things said about teachers.

Perhaps Mr. Kirsh you didn't happen to notice the thread I posted in May honoring National Teacher's Week, and the 70 or so positive comments from readers that followed.

As you can see from the section above, if I make a mistake I am willing to acknowledge and correct it. Are you willing to do the same?

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In the midst of all the controversy, you should take a moment and enjoy humor when you can. During the second public comment last night, Steve Rodos had reached the 3 minute limit of his speech when he stated his feelings of something the Board could have been doing better. At that very second, Ritchie Webb interrupted him to say his time was up. Everyone started to laugh believing that Mr. Webb was just kidding, and so Mr. Rodos continued to speak. Then Webb jumped in again and said he wasn’t kidding at all and that Mr. Rodos’ time had truly expired.

The exchange between both gentlemen was purely coincidental yet perfectly timed, and it gave the audience a much-needed laugh.

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Did you see my picture with today’s Courier Times’ article? Do I always look that brooding? I need to cut back on the caffeine.

But I ask you ... what other elected official can pull off a purple shirt and matching tie like that? :-)

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I won't be at the October 11th meeting, so that leaves me with just three board meetings left before the end of my term, and it can't happen fast enough for some people, I'm sure.

Let the countdown begin!

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Board issues clarification

The following supplement to last night’s Board statement will provide clarification to the modified proposal put forth by the Board during yesterday’s meeting with the NFT.

After careful consideration of the cost factors involved, the Board offered to accept the insurance plan requested by the NFT, Customized PC-20/30/70, in exchange for a 15% premium contribution to be paid by the certified staff. The cost of this plan is actually less than the PC-20/30/70 plan the Board proposed on July 18th.

Assuming a 15% contribution by the teachers, the savings to the District is over $4 million for the first year, and will continue to yield significant savings every year thereafter. The 15% contribution would be consistent with the rate paid by all other district bargaining units, and existing retirees would be required to pay this contribution. Future retirees may obtain insurance coverage if they pay 100% of the premium.

The Board also offered to reinstate teachers for education credits not recognized over the past three years. The one-time cost of this expense will be approximately $2 million. Again, this is for education credits only, not service steps.

By recognizing education credits, the Board is looking to help the younger teachers in a way that will reaffirm our commitment to their valued service. Beyond this point, however, the Board will no longer recognize MEQ credits.

The combination of these two moves provides the NFT with some concessions they are looking for, and tax payers will benefit from the net-positive impact that will result from the much-needed savings from the high cost of health care premiums.

All other aspects of the Board's July 18th proposal remain in place.

This is just one step in the process to resolving this contract impasse, but it is an important development that we hope union leaders will share enthusiastically with their membership.
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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Board modifies proposal

Meeting #35 lasted 3 hours, 5 minutes. The two parties did not meet face-to-face but instead the mediator acted as a go-between.

After confirming it could not accept the NFT’s recent proposal, the Board proposed to accept the NFT’s requested health plan of choice, Customized PC-20/30/70, provided the NFT members contribute 15% toward their premiums. The board also proposed to pay column movement (education credits, not retro pay) bringing the certified staff up-to-date. With the estimated cost of compensating the younger teachers to be $2 million, the Board would use savings from insurance contributions to subsidize this added expense.

The Board is continuing to negotiate from its 7/18/11 proposal and is using that as the basis for its ongoing negotiations.

Once again the NFT has questions regarding cost projections. The mediator will meet with finance representatives from both groups to qualify the numbers.

No new meeting has been set at this time but one will be scheduled following the meeting between the mediator and the finance representatives.
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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Board releases details of NFT verbal

The Neshaminy School Board issued the following statement to the press a few moments ago . . .

Since the NFT was unable to live up to its own promise to submit a written version of their latest contract proposal to the Board, and in order to keep negotiations moving forward, the Board has chosen to release its own notes of the NFT's verbal proposal given during meeting #34, on August 29th, 2011.

As of the August 29, 2011, verbal offer the NFT is still demanding that all terms and conditions of the 2002 CBA be included as the basis in the next contract with no changes, unless otherwise proposed.

August 29th, 2011 NFT Verbal Proposal

Contract Term 6 Years

All Current Bargaining Unit Employees will be moved four years forward and placed on step, with educational credits; NFT estimated total costs $ 7.2 million dollars. The cost of step movement for school year 2008-2009/ 2009-2010/2010-2011 is estimated by the NFT to cost $5.3 million of the $7.2 million. The NFT is recommending that the District reimburse employees in 12 equal payments $ 441,666 or $1,766,664.00 per year for three years 2008/2009, 2010/2011, 2011/2012.

The NFT proposes the following salary adjustments that would be additional to the above costs.

2008/2009 -0 %

2009/2010 -0 %

2010/2011 -1 % plus steps and education credits (Board analysis confirms this to translate to 3.1%)

2011/2012 - 2.75% plus steps and education credits (Board analysis confirms this to translate to 5.34%)

2012/2013 – 3% plus steps and education credits (Board analysis confirms this to translate to 5.30%)

2013/2014 – 3.50 % plus steps and education credits (Board confirms this to translate to 5.5%)

Early Retirement Incentive:

Retirement Health Insurance would only cover employee and spouse, no dependent coverage; this would require 15 years of service. Retirees will contribute same percentage toward health insurance cost as those currently working. The NFT wants to freeze contribution rate, flat rate at 8% of current costs, with no future increases.

The NFT wants to keep current health plan with a few modifications. Rx plan would be same as current with no single source clause. Self insurance would be acceptable to NFT.

Retirement cash payment, currently $27,500.00, with a ten year service requirement.

Retirement incentive changed to 20 year requirement to qualify. New amount $20,000.00 plus $ 1,000 each additional year of service past 20 years, but will max out at $ 25,000.00.
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

District puts a "chill" on NFT rights

After being admonished for distributing union literature to parents at a school district event, the NFT once again files a legal challenge to the superintendent's authority

Not a day goes by that some frustrated parent or tax payer doesn’t blog a demand that administration does something to limit what many consider to be invasive tactics employed by the NFT. What they do not know is that administration does enforce district policies and practices on an ongoing basis, but their efforts are challenged regularly by union officials seeking to overturn whatever administration is trying to uphold.

Since July 2010, the NFT has filed 9 grievances and 5 unfair labor practices against Neshaminy, most recently in an appeal of Dr. Muenker’s order that the union refrain from disseminating their literature on district property during school-related events.

An unfair labor practice is filed with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board for alleged violation of the Public Employee Relations Act. A grievance is an appeal of an alleged contract violation, a past practice or a disciplinary action as governed by a collective bargaining agreement. It is filed first to a building principal, then appealed to the superintendent, then onto an arbitrator.

In this most recently filed ULP (see below), the NFT challenges the actions of our superintendent, saying that Dr. Muenker intended to “chill the exercise of the Union and teachers’ rights … to silence the Union …” (page 5, section 9, first sentence).

Every time the NFT files such a complaint, administration must exhaust their time and tax payer money for legal fees to defend their actions. So even though the public may believe our administration allows the union to go unchallenged, there are 14 examples filed in the preceding 13 months that prove just the opposite.

Post Script - Undoubtedly NFT leadership will consider this post to be nothing more than an effort to derail or distract negotiations. Mind you, they didn't concern themselves with starting a controversy by handing out unapproved literature in violation of district policy. And when confronted about the matter, they didn't hesitate to file an unfair labor practice. It appears that when the NFT takes an action, they call it communicating or standing up for union rights. But when anyone in the district, board or public speaks out against their actions, union leaders dismiss it as stirring the pot. How convenient. How chilly.

Unfair Labor Charge 8-26-11 NFT - School Property

Monday, August 29, 2011

Highlights of Meeting #34

NFT offers revised verbal proposal

Meeting #34 began at 6:45pm and lasted 2-1/2 hours. At the request of the state mediator, Board President Ritchie Webb and NSB attorney Chuck Sweet met with union leader Louise Boyd and NFT attorney Tom Jennings to review the findings of the AFT’s Washington, DC-based Research and Information Director. As this portion of the meeting ended, Mr. Webb reviewed the data with the rest of the NSB negotiating team while the representatives from the NFT took a 50 minute caucus before returning with a revised verbal proposal.

Mr. Webb requested the revised proposal be put into writing so that the information could be shared with the rest of the school board. The NFT indicated they would submit a written proposal sometime this week.

As has been Board practice throughout these negotiations, details of the NFT revised proposal will be shared with the public once it has been formalized in writing, and after the details have been vetted by the Board. Until that time, the Board will not comment on the contents of the latest counter offer.

Both sides agreed to meet again on Wednesday, September 7th at 6pm.
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