Schools

Teachers Working Only Contracted Hours is Negotiating Ploy, Clark BOE Says

'Using Clark's children as hostages in the process is not in anyone's best interest,' board writes.

This letter to the editor was received from the Clark Board of Education.

Dear editor: 

On or about November 11, 2013, the Clark Education Association by its President posted an “Open Letter to the Clark Community” on Facebook.  The following evening many teachers and community members came to the Board of Education’s meeting to voice their concern about the status of the pending negotiations. 

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The Clark community should hear true and accurate information regarding the teachers’ contract and the bargaining process.  The Board and Association have not been bargaining for over a year and half.  The parties began substantive bargaining in February of 2013.  More importantly, although the teachers’ agreement technically ended on June 30, 2013 (only 4 months ago), the staff is not working without a contract.  Every staff member continues to work under the contract that ended on June 30th; they continue to receive their full pay and every benefit contained in the agreement.  No term or condition of their job has changed at all.  Indeed, the Board agreed that whatever salary adjustment may ultimately be agreed upon, will be retroactive to July 1, 2013.  It is true that the parties are “close” in their respective positions.  However, close does not mean settled.  The Board’s Negotiation Committee met with the Association to try to bring the parties to a compromise.  The Association rejected further compromise.

Rather than continuing to bargain, teachers decided to stop performing any duties outside of their 7-hour workday.  The Association wants you to believe that they had no choice but to stop helping your children, but that is not entirely accurate.  The teachers voluntarily decided to “work the to contract” as a ploy to force the Board to accept its offer. The Board believes that using Clark’s children as hostages in this process is not in any one’s best interest and does nothing to foster the kind of communication necessary to work towards amicably settling the contract.  

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The Board believes that their offer is reasonable, while being fiscally responsible to the Clark taxpayers and maintaining a sustainable budget.  The Board believes that their offer demonstrates significant commitment to fairly compensate the staff while preserving the high standards and educational expectations for Clark’s children.  The Board stands ready, willing and able to continue to bargain in good faith, but will not be forced to accept a deal that is not in the community’s best interest.

Signed,
Clark Board of Education

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