HVEA responds to school superintendent’s Sunday memo

Union President Bernadette Schetler gives teachers’ view of negotiations issue

By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
   Asked Tuesday if the Hopewell Valley Education Association (HVEA) wanted to comment on the memo sent Sunday night to Hopewell Valley parents by school Superintendent Judith A. Ferguson, union President Bernadette Schetler said yes.
   ”Because of the e-mail sent by Dr. Ferguson to the parents of Hopewell Valley, HVEA must respond publicly with their perspective about these negotiations. It is not our intent to bargain in the newspapers, but we feel the public at this point is entitled to another perspective on this process,” Ms. Schetler said.
   Following is the update on HVEA’s negotiations from the HVEA’s perspective:
   Q. What is the current status of negotiations with HVEA?
   A. HVEA filed for impasse in June after six frustrating months of bargaining with the board because it was obvious they were not making a good-faith effort to settle. It took six months for us to get a salary guide from them.
   Q. Has the board settled with other bargaining units.
   A. The truth is that the custodians did not settle until their third year without a contract. Both the secretaries and the paraprofessionals are now in their second year of working without a contract. The teachers have been without one since July 1.
   Q. Are the teachers “working without a contract”?
   A. Although that is term commonly used for the situation at hand, the reality is we are still working and frozen under the terms and conditions of the prior contract.
   Q. What is the nature of the job action the teachers seem to have engaged in recently?
   A. In its frustration with the board, the teachers have stopped volunteering their time before or after school. Be assured, these same teachers are dedicated to their professional responsibilities and their commitment to the education of the students in this district.
   Q. What issues are in dispute?
   A. The board wants greater contributions from the association toward the cost of health benefits. Currently, HVEA members contribute an aggregate of more than 6 percent of the entire cost of health benefits. Some employees contribute as much as 19 percent of the cost of health benefits. There are no districts in Mercer County where this takes place; yet the board is asking for more. The salary guides the board has offered in no way compensate for the “give-backs” they are demanding.
   Q. How will this job action impact our students?
   A. Students are feeling the impact of teachers no longer volunteering their own time in activities that both the staff and students enjoy sharing. However, because of the lack of respect felt from the board and their lack of good faith bargaining, members of HVEA must make a statement. Although teachers have no duty to write recommendations, they will continue to do this in order to assist their students in getting into the colleges of their choice. Parents have always recognized the caring attitude of this staff.
   Q. Is it appropriate for teachers to discuss negotiations with students?
   A. HVEA has asked teachers to respond simply to students’ inquiries. The message is for the parents to let the superintendent and the board know of their concerns; and hopefully to support the cause of the teachers.
   Q. Why hasn’t a settlement been reached?
   A. This board has not bargained in good faith. This started when board member Kevin Doran began placing editorials in the paper regarding health benefits and the goal of the board to make employees shoulder more of the costs of the benefits. The HVEA has only asked for a fair settlement in light of what is going on in Mercer County and around the state. The HVEA has made many offers for settlement that have been outright rejected by the school board. Yes, HVEA declared impasse, but it was after six months of frustration and the board’s not recognizing any of the needs of the staff.
   Q. What has the board offered?
   A. In New Jersey, approximately 5 percent of school districts get contributions toward health benefits. Hopewell Valley has been receiving contributions for more than 30 years. In addition, there have been numerous plan changes that have resulted in savings for the board. To make any more changes would seriously reduce the coverage levels that employees currently have — which are at the “bottom-of-the-barrel” for employee coverages in Mercer County. As explained during the last mediation session by a NJEA insurance researcher for the state, HVEA has the worse benefit package in the county and pays among the most in the state for its benefits. Most districts in this state provide benefits free of cost to their teachers.
   Q. Is the board proposing that teachers lose their health insurance coverage?
   A. HVEA does not have a generous package of employee benefits. An analysis has been done comparing the benefits of HVEA versus all of the other comparable school districts in Mercer County. The reality is that all the other districts in the county enjoy better benefits than the employees of Hopewell Valley. In addition, they pay for more of their benefits than most school districts in the entire state. HVEA has offered to balance the staff’s share of paying for benefits in the various plans, but the board rejected their proposal because “it would not generate enough money” for them.
   Q. When will negotiations end?
   A. The new law was designed to level the bargaining field because boards like the one we are dealing with would essentially go through the process and then simply impose their will on their employees without any recourse except a strike. If mediation fails, a fact-finder would be appointed. This individual would be responsible for listening to both parties and writing a report on what he believes the settlement should be. Both sides could either accept or reject the report, which is non-binding. If it is rejected, that report would become public and a super conciliator would be appointed. The person would have the authority to negotiate over the fact-finder’s report. He also could order around-the-clock bargaining until a voluntary settlement is reached.