Agreement elusive in PT teachers dispute
Talks between Peters Township School District and Peters Township Federation of Teachers Local 3421 will resume today after the parties failed to reach an agreement Thursday after more than nine hours of closed-door talks with a nonbinding arbitrator.
Talks began Thursday morning with arbitrator Timothy Tietze. The parties revisited many educational points that had been agreed upon in earlier sessions. Economic issues were the focus of the afternoon with salaries and health care the major points of the discussion.
“The only way to find a resolution is to work together,” said Jeannine French, district superintendent. “I was encouraged by the willingness to talk today, but the same issues derailed the conversation. We need to find a way to come to an agreement that is acceptable to our teachers and responsible to our community.”
Kris Bergman, union president, declined comment.
The union’s labor agreement with the district expired Aug. 31, and it is possible there may be another strike. The union must give the district 48 hours notice if it intends to strike again.
Last fall’s three-week work stoppage by the district’s 285 teachers pushed the last day of school to June 23 for the more than 4,000 students in the district. By state law, students must receive 180 days of instruction by June 30, which means if another strike takes place it will be shorter than the fall walkout. Graduation is scheduled for June 10.
The average teacher’s salary in Peters is more than $70,000 a year, the district said.