News

March 26, 2008

NW teachers offer health contribution

But board has only until 5 p.m. today to reply to March 10 proposal.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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UNION TWP. – Breaking from a three-year stance, the Northwest Area School District teachers union has offered to have members pay part of their health insurance premium.

The provision was included in a March 10 contract proposal, but there’s a catch: The union set a deadline of 5 p.m. today for a response - with the possibility of a strike looming if the board reacts unfavorably.

“They sent us a proposal, we sent them a proposal,” said lead union negotiator Matt Gruenloh, who took over that post late last year from John Holland. “We’re looking to move forward with negotiations.”

“The big thing is that we are moving closer on health care, which is one of the bigger issues. In the latest proposal we have a premium share which was a consideration of the board. That was one of their bigger demands.”

Pennsylvania State Education Association spokesman Paul Shemansky said the union could strike if it doesn’t like the board’s answer, or if the board does not respond. The union membership has already authorized the negotiating team to call a strike whenever it sees fit, so no further union action is necessary other than a state-mandated, 48-hour notice that a strike would begin.

Theoretically, if the union gets no response by today’s deadline, it could give notice tonight and walk the picket line Monday morning.

But Gruenloh seemed to downplay that possibility.

“We have not gotten their response from our proposal, and I don’t want to jump the gun before I hear back from their lead negotiator, (attorney) Richard Galtman.

Galtman said he and the board are working on a response to the union’s proposal, but that district workers are gathering information to give a complete reply.

“We have to calculate the cost of their proposal,” he said.

Since the monthly meeting was moved from Tuesday to Thursday because of a scheduling conflict, Galtman noted he won’t see board members before the deadline, so an informal response by then is unlikely. A formal response is impossible, he said, since the board can’t vote until the meeting.

“I think a strike would be a real shame, given what they just put on the table,” Galtman said. “It opens the door to talk about ‘What if?’ ”

Galtman and Gruenloh are relative newcomers to the three-year negotiations, and while there haven’t been formal negotiations for months, both have been talking informally to keep things moving, Gruenloh said. Galtman said he thinks “both sides should take advantage of whatever fresh starts we can get.”

The two sides have gone through fact-finding, a teacher strike last June, and non-binding arbitration that ended in January. On Sunday, board member Bob Hagenbach sent an e-mail to local newspapers pointing out the offers from both sides are on the district Web site at www.northwest.k12.pa.us. He contends the union version would cause a tax increase, and urges residents to scrutinize both proposals.

But Shemansky repeated the union’s contention that all of its latest demands could be met without a tax hike. He noted the contract proposals posted on the Internet are from December and were drawn up as part of the non-binding arbitration process. Each side has made a new proposal since then.

Galtman said that he submitted a settlement offer after arbitration, meaning “if you agree to this today we’re willing to live with it.” The union didn’t agree to it, but Galtman said it may have helped spur the union’s new stance. “I sincerely appreciate the movement that was made in that proposal. I view it for what it was, movement on a very difficult issue. The intent is to respond accordingly, in a way that is appropriate to the proposal.”

Regardless of what happens today, Shemansky said the union intends to have strong representation at Thursday’s meeting, and to address the board. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. in the high school library.

Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161

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