[N]egotiations between the South Burlington School Board and the teacher’s union appear headed for mediation after the board declared an impasse in contract talks last month.
After 10 meetings since last October, the board has asked the South Burlington Education Association to call in a mediator.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald, the school board chair, said mediation is common.
“I’ve been in this role almost 15 years … in six different contract negotiations with the teachers, and 100 percent of the cases we’ve had to go to fact-finding,” she said. “History would tell us that mediation and fact-finding may be necessary to secure a settled agreement.”
According to a statement from the School Board, the board has offered the union a raise of 3% that includes a combined increase in salary and benefits, while the union is seeking an increase of 6.4%.
The school board’s proposal was rooted in the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculation in the increase in the cost of living across the Northeast region over the past 12 months — about 1.3%.
Noah Everitt, a co-president of the South Burlington Education Association, said the union isn’t asking for a 6.4% raise.
“We are not asking for a 6.4% raise, the school board declared impasse when we were preparing our next proposal, which they will receive at mediation,” he said.
Everitt also noted the disparity between past contract agreements and healthcare commitments from the board.
“The board suggests that the increase in health care costs is increased compensation, which it is not. This past year the board was not able to administer the health care system as agreed to in the negotiated settlement, resulting in thousands of dollars paid out by members who waited up to 10 months for reimbursement of covered expenses,” he said. “We have members currently who are not receiving their health care benefit, because the deductible funds withheld from their paychecks are currently not accessible to them.”
The board said they are working within a budget already approved by voters, and a raise for the union higher than offered may result in cutting other programs.
“If (the school board) is outside of the scope of the approved budget, which happens, (we) have to look at potentially cutting programs in order to work within the existing budget,” said Fitzgerald.
The union, however, said their focus is benefiting the community.
“Our main focus is finding the best deal to get the best quality of education for South Burlington students,” said Everitt.
When asked about the how well the meetings have been going, Everitt’s thoughts contradicted the school board’s.
“I think our board has been clear with us that they are more interested in a timeline than finding a deal or reaching settlement, and that was explicitly said to us in the meetings,” he said. “That is their motivating focus, they would like to make a deal but they are more interested in making sure the timeline is what they would like.”
Due to the inability of making a deal, both the board and the union will invite a neutral mediator to facilitate negotiations. If both parties don’t come to an agreement, then a fact-finding process will begin. The fact-finder could issue a non-binding advisory report within 60 days.
At the beginning of the negotiations, the board had nine issues on the table, while the union had 22. Fitzgerald said despite several proposals, she feels the two sides are far apart.
Everitt said a strike is the last option the union will consider.
“We are and remain committed to the process of negotiating with the hopeful of a settlement, because that’s ultimately what we seek and the possibility of strike should be avoided at all costs,” he said.
