ROBBINSVILLE: School board ratifies new contract

by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
   ROBBINSVILLE — The Robbinsville Board of Education unanimously ratified a pact with the Washington Township Education Association (WTEA).
   The deal, which extends through June 30, 2014, still requires formal ratification by the WTEA to become official.
   The WTEA represents 350 Robbinsville teachers, secretaries, support staff, maintenance workers and bus drivers. The WTEA has been working for over a year and a half without a new deal.Under the parameters of the pact approved by the board at the March 26 meeting, the WTEA will receive a lump sum of $260,000 in one time, non-pensionable stipends.
   The stipends do not increase the overall base salary and will be distributed for all WTEA members currently employed by the board now and during the 2011-12 school year.
   Any WTEA member who retired during the 2011-12 school year is eligible for the stipends, while any member who left voluntarily or were non-renewed are ineligible.
   In addition to the stipends, WTEA members would receive 2.5 percent increases for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years effective July 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013, respectively.
   Board members expressed relief after ratifying the deal, acknowledging since the contract only extends until next July that negotiations will begin again sooner rather than later.
   ”We look forward to the union’s ratification of contract so that the agreed upon stipends can start to be paid to teachers,” said board member Thomas Halm. “Personally, I’m looking forward to a little break before start the whole negotiating process again the in late fall.”
   Attempts to reach WTEA President Mike Johnson were unsuccessful at press time.
   According to board minutes, a tentative agreement was reached at a meeting between the two parties Jan.14 based on the Nov. 6 fact-finders report with some alterations and additions.
   At the Jan. 22 meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of agreement for the three-year pact.
   The memorandum came months after teachers rejected a fact-finder’s proposal for not including retroactive pay.
   The rejection necessitated the Public Employment Relations Commission to appoint a super conciliator to further mediate the negotiation process.
   The next board of education meeting is a special meeting scheduled for April 11 for the purpose of awarding a bid for the district security audit. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the high school’s Student Activities Center.