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ROTTERDAM
Teachers, district enter mediation
BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter

    Schalmont Central School District officials and the Schalmont Teachers Association are in mediation to resolve a contract impasse that has stretched beyond 600 days.
    The teachers’ contract expired on June 30, 2009. Both sides are working with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) in an effort to solve the dispute, which centers around issues of salaries and benefits.
    The district would like the teachers to increase the percentage they pay toward their health insurance premiums, which is currently at 5 percent.
    Schalmont Board of Education President Kevin Thompson said he remains optimistic that both sides will work out their differences. “There’s willingness for both sides [to negotiate],” he said. One of the difficulties has been getting everybody in the same room to talk, according to Thompson. “It hasn’t broken down. We’re still actively talking with the hopes and expectations that something can be resolved,” he said. Under the provisions of the Taylor Law Triborough Amendment, the “step” salary increases continue for contracts that have expired, Thompson said. Despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for school districts to control costs, Thompson said that provision limits the school district’s leverage.
    “Having an open contract doesn’t mean that you can impose your will,” he said.
    The mediation process starts before a PERB staff person. If either side is not satisfied with the process, it can request that a fact-finder intervene to resolve the dispute.
    S u p e r i n t e n d e n t V a l e r i e Kelsey also remained positive about the outcome.
    “There is an understanding on both sides of the difficult financial situation,” she said.
    However, she acknowledged that both sides have not met since January, since there have been so many other issues at the forefront in the district, including voting last month to close the Mariaville and Woestina elementary schools and working on the 2011-12 budget.
    In response to an e-mail inquiry about the status of negotiations, Schalmont Teachers Association President Mary Beth Flatley said mediation started in late fall and has been suspended until the district better understands the effect of the state budget on the district’s aid.
    “As the parties are not that far apart, it is best that the details be left to the negotiators,” she wrote.
    The starting salary for a Schalmont teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $40,389, and for a 25-year veteran, it is $92,981 — not including any stipends for other activities. For teachers with master’s degrees, the pay is $42,939 and $95,531, respectively. ..................>>>>......................>>>>......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01102&AppName=1

Oh the mediators rule for the union every time. What a joke. Screw the taxpayers.

$95k after 30 years are the taxpayers of the scholl district crazy

b**ch about the town but this article speaks volumes about your tax burden - Schalmont taxpayers -

FDG - you are a Schalmont taxpayer why not attack the true cause of the high tax bill - run for School Board

College professors who went to school for 8-9 years with post doctoral studies have trouble making that kind of money and they WORK ALL SUMMER.

I say make them pay more of their benefits costs, or reduce the actual cost of the benefits to the district.  Raise copays, reduce benefits.  If they want the same benefits, make them pay more.  That's what everyone who isn't getting paid by tax money has to do, why shouldn't those who are on the public dole do the same?  

because the children will suffer

This is where the unions have failed. They sold the private sector a bill of goods when they said that they would be paid better with better benefits since the private sector will have to compete with the union scale. Although that has happened in industry in the past decades, that has clearly not been the case any longer. The private sector pays much more for their benefits. And the unions DON'T!!!

The public sector union employees should have always been paying more into their benefit package. The private sector is stuck in the middle paying for medicaid AND for the public employees while struggling to pay for their own.

The unions are million dollar companies and should well be able to afford to pay into the benefits to these employees just like private sector businesses do.

I heard from my daughter that many of the middle school teachers are afraid for their jobs over the next 24 hours or so. It appears that with the changes in the schools, when the 5th graders come to the middle school next year, there's going to be a serious shifting of personnel, including some people right out the door. This could be just the shakeup that is needed to bring taxes down a bit.

Quoted from Kevin March

I say make them pay more of their benefits costs, or reduce the actual cost of the benefits to the district.  Raise copays, reduce benefits.  If they want the same benefits, make them pay more.  That's what everyone who isn't getting paid by tax money has to do, why shouldn't those who are on the public dole do the same?  

Wasn't the idea to attract good people into the teaching profession?  These things take time, you can't change an entire system in one year.  I personally am very grateful to my children's teachers and think they earn every penny.  I've volunteered in the classroom on many occasions and am totally amazed by what they do.  Educaton and children are a priority for me (sorry).

I wish I had a contract at my job, haven't gotten a raise in years, benefits cut...  Only the management reap the benefits, no one to stand up for us, it's take it or leave it!  That's not the solution either.

Bad unions......they are so terrible.

Quoted from Kevin March

I heard from my daughter that many of the middle school teachers are afraid for their jobs over the next 24 hours or so. It appears that with the changes in the schools, when the 5th graders come to the middle school next year, there's going to be a serious shifting of personnel, including some people right out the door. This could be just the shakeup that is needed to bring taxes down a bit.

dont worry the teachers will adapt as the children will......although I bet the kids make out better.....the falling union #'s are because the
kids truly are learning a GREAT lesson every year they are in school and it's all outside of the reading, writing and arithmetic.....

but they will also learn that they get to keep paying as they get into adulthood for others inability/refusal to adapt to new ways of working/compensation

Quoted from 1216

I wish I had a contract at my job, haven't gotten a raise in years, benefits cut...  Only the management reap the benefits, no one to stand up for us, it's take it or leave it!  That's not the solution either.

In the case of public employee unions, who is ultimately "management"?  THE TAXPAYER.  I opened my tax bill, and as management, I can tell you my household revenue hasn't kept up with the expense of my school.  Management(The Homeowner) is in the RED

raises should track CPI and rate of inflation - no more

3% compounded raises bring us to where we are

if we are foolinh enough to elect board members who do not have a basic knowledge of math shame on us

there are times when math should outweigh emotion -  this is one of them