Negotiations back on track in Middletown
Court-appointed
mediator meets with MTEA, school board
MIDDLETOWN — With students and teachers already back in their classrooms, the Middletown Township Education Association (MTEA) and the Board of Education returned to the negotiating table last week under the supervision of a court-appointed mediator.
Representatives of the board and the union met with mediator Ronald J. Riccio, who was appointed to oversee nonbinding arbitration by state Superior Court Judge Clarkson S. Fisher Jr. on Dec. 7.
Both sides have been barred from commenting on the negotiations process, with Riccio directing that all public comment go through him, according to school officials.
As of press time, Riccio could not be reached for comment.
After meeting with both parties to gather information, Riccio will issue a report with a suggested contract settlement.
Riccio’s appointment to oversee the process of nonbinding arbitration comes on the heels of the township’s second major job action by the MTEA in three years.
The recent job action, which lasted seven days, resulted in major strife in the district, with many in the community critical of the timing of the strike.
Emotions ran high on both sides of the issue after nearly a quarter of the union membership spent time at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold, for violating a court order to return to work.
More than 200 teachers, secretaries and nurses who spent time behind bars were released when the union agreed to call off the strike on Dec. 7 if Fisher mandated that both parties enter nonbinding arbitration.
The MTEA called the strike on Nov. 29 after two mediators from the N.J. Public Employment Relations Commission declared that mediation had failed and negotiations should move to the next phase of the process, which is fact-finding.
During the last round of contract negotiations in 1998, the MTEA went on strike for four days after the board imposed a contract on the union. That contract expired June 30.
Negotiations resumed in November after the MTEA called a moratorium on negotiations shortly after the events of Sept. 11, which resulted in the loss of nearly three dozen township residents in the collapse of the twin towers after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
With students and teachers back in school after a week’s vacation, many expected tension upon the return to the classroom.
According to district Superintendent of Schools Jack DeTalvo, the first full week of school was completed with no significant problems.
"Everything was fine. The students were in class, and the teachers were in class," said DeTalvo.
Board of Education President Patricia Walsh said that the feedback that has been coming her way indicates that all has run smoothly with classes back in session.
"The kids were ready to get back and start classes," said Walsh, who said she expected some discussion about the strike to take place in schools, but that the best thing the community could do would be to put those events behind it.
"A lot of things happened that will take time to heal from," said Walsh. "Everyone involved made a choice based on their circumstances and did what they felt was right.
"We have to respect that there was a difference of opinion that led to this," added Walsh, who also said the district may have a long way to go to heal the wounds inflicted by the latest round of labor unrest.