By:Al Wicklund
br> MONROE — The Monroe Township School District and the Monroe Teachers Education Association are going to get some help working on a new three-year contract for district teachers.
A state mediator has been appointed by the Public Employment Relations Commission for mediation sessions, if needed, and the board and the MTEA will resume their contract negotiations Nov. 30.
The new collective bargaining session was announced at Wednesday’s Board of Education monthly business meeting by board member Kathy Leonard, who is on the board’s negotiating committee.
“I hope it (the negotiation session) ends in a settlement,” Ms. Leonard said.
After the meeting, Caren Castaldo, MTEA co-president, said she shares Ms. Leonard’s hope.
The negotiating committees for the board and the MTEA last met Oct. 17. At that meeting, both sides agreed to apply to PERC for state mediation.
Since then, the board and the association applied but agreed to continue negotiating while waiting for a state mediator to be appointed.
Gloria Tener, PERC’s director of conciliation, said Thursday a mediator for Monroe Township has been appointed.
Ms. Tener said she would not be able to release the name of the mediator until she is sure both sides have received notification.
“I would be delighted if they come to agreement at the Nov. 30 meeting.
“I believe it’s best when negotiators involved in the collective bargaining process reach an agreement themselves,” Ms. Tener said.
The board and MTEA came to a tentative agreement on a contract in June, but, during the summer were unable to agree on how to construct the contract’s salary guide.
The salary guide determines how pay increases will be distributed to teachers and other board employees based on length of service and academic achievement.
On Wednesday, MTEA members in gray T-shirts filled the Mill Lake School gymnasium, site of the board meeting, in a quiet show of support for their negotiators.
Ms. Castaldo urged the board “to join the majority” of school boards and settle with their employees.
“We have almost 600 school districts in New Jersey. The vast majority settle their contracts without undue tension. The vast majority negotiate in good faith. Let’s ensure that Monroe joins this majority as soon as possible,” Ms. Castaldo said.
When the two parties come to an agreement, the terms of the contract, including pay raises, will be retroactive to July 1 of this year.
