FC teachers to strike Dec. 1

BY KATHLEEN BOLUS

Teachers in the Forest City Regional School District are set to strike starting Tuesday, Dec. 1.

The union originally issued a strike notice for mid-October, but productive bargaining sessions pushed off the strike until December.

Although some concessions were made, continual bad-faith bargaining and regressive bargaining tactics are stalling any further progress to reach a contract settlement, said Debbie Zabielski, Pennsylvania State Education Association representative, in an email.

“The school board still is very uncompromising,” she stated.

“I’m going to respectfully disagree with that accusation,” said school board President Mary Emmett. The last negotiation session was on Wednesday, during which the district suggested withdrawing the strike notice and entering into fact-finding. That plan was rejected by the union, she said.

Zabielski said the Forest City Regional Education Association agreed to the school board’s proposal for wage increases, but the union was not offered any solutions to issues over meaningful professional development, an ongoing sticking point during the negotiations.

Professional development is formal training to expand on teachers’ knowledge and skills. Often, the teachers are receiving updates and classes on state-mandated issues.

The sessions usually take place during a half-day for students. During negotiations, the district suggested the teachers have a monthly professional development session for 45 minutes after school to maximize student class time, said Emmett.

Zabielski estimates the potential strike could last until the week before Christmas, but the state Department of Education has the final say for how long teachers unions can strike.

Forest City teachers “will do whatever they can to avoid a crisis, but time is running out,” she said.
Emmett said the district has to “be financially responsible.”

“The strike is their choice, not ours,” she said. “Obviously, we have different opinions but hopefully we can come to a common ground next week.”

Both sides will go back to the table Sunday at 10 a.m.

Emmett remains optimistic a strike can be avoided. She stressed that a strike would leave support staff, maintenance, bus drivers and other employees not covered under the contract out of work around the holidays.

The teachers contract expired on Aug. 31. Health care, salaries and professional development are among sticking points in the negotiations.

There are 72 full-time teachers in the association. The average teacher in the Forest City School District makes $57,609. Around 806 students were enrolled, according to data from the 2013-14 school year.