BURLINGTON — The Vermont Labor Relations Board has ruled against Burlington teachers who were seeking payment docked during their four-day strike in September 2017.
According to a July 9 opinion, the labor board found the Burlington School Board was within its rights to withhold pay from the teachers during the “four days in which they performed no work.”
The ruling noted how the school board made clear “both before the strike and following the strike that teachers would not receive pay for the time spent on strike.”
Additionally, it was noted that the Burlington Education Association, the teachers’ union, signed a new contract without a clear promise of reimbursement for the days on strike.
The union says teachers were promised back pay if the school year was extended by four days.
However, after the new contract was signed Burlington Superintendent Yaw Obeng changed plans, according to filings in the case.
On Oct. 25, 2017, Obeng advised Burlington teachers of the revised school calendar by switching teacher training days into school days in order to meet the state required length for a school year. So no extra days were scheduled.
The union argues this decision undercut the 2.5% salary increase the teachers were seeking and ultimately were awarded when the strike was resolved.
The union sought to address the revised calendar with the school board, “but the School District had no interest” and adopted the revised schedule without agreement from the teachers, according to the labor board ruling.
Nothing the school district did violated its collective bargaining agreement with the teachers, according to the board’s opinion, which said “no explicit language that addresses what will happen to the school calendar and the teachers’ work year if there is a work stoppage in the District, and teachers decide to strike and withhold their services from the District.”
Obeng and Burlington School Board Chair Claire Wool did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Vermont-National Education Association Director of Communications Darren Allen directed questions to Burlington Education Association President Andrew Styles, who declined to comment.
It’s unclear whether there are additional steps the union might take to continue its reimbursement battle.
Representatives of both the school board and teachers union expressed immense relief when the two sides finally reached a deal two years ago, and a new contract was signed last year with much less drama.
Yet is seems the underlying tension has not gone away.
A survey conducted last year found more than 80% of teachers and staff at Burlington areas schools do not believe the school system is a positive community and feel that the district does not communicate openly with them.
Obeng said he would work with staff to “figure out what this data means,” and create a better environment for learning.