FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – An impasse has been declared between the Freehold Township K-8 School District Board of Education and the union that represents the district’s non-supervisory employees after the parties have been unable to agree on a new contract.
The impasse between the board and the Freehold Township Education Association (FTEA) was announced in a press release issued by the school district on July 17. The press release states a mediator will be assigned to facilitate further negotiations between the two sides.
In response to the district’s issuance of the press release, FTEA President Tracie Yostpille said, “To say we are disappointed by this piece of fiction is putting it mildly. It is inaccurate, misleading and a politicized grab for public support as we begin impasse with a state-appointed mediator.
“Frankly, we are not surprised. Rather than work to truly find ways to reach a fair and equitable settlement, as it claims it want to, the board’s negotiations committee chooses to insult the teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals and clerical assistants they claim to value.
“Despite this egregious behavior, we are choosing to not engage in a war of words through the media. To do so serves no immediate benefit for our students or this wonderful community. The FTEA remains committed to securing a contract that reflects the worth of its members and is confident the mediation process will bring that to fruition,” Yostpille said.
The FTEA is the exclusive union representative for all district employees who are not supervisors.
Specifically, the FTEA represents teachers, certified school nurses, guidance counselors, media specialists, social workers, learning disabilities/teacher consultants, psychologists, secretaries, office assistants, teacher assistants, occupational therapists, certified occupational therapist assistants, program coordinators, speech language specialists, physical therapists, educational interpreters for the deaf and board certified behavior analysts.
The previous contract between the board and the FTEA was effective from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2019.
According to the district’s press release, the terms of the contract, where an agreement has not been made, is related to salary and benefits.
“The Freehold Township Board of Education offered the FTEA a 2.9% annual salary increase and additional money for members on the top of the (salary) guide,” the press release states. “This proposal equates to an average annual increase of 3.1%, which is equal to the county average, as per the FTEA data provided to the board. In return, the board asked for modifications to the current contribution rate toward health insurance.”
The press release states that the union members, with the exception of teacher assistants,
pay 18% toward their medical, prescription and dental benefits and their contractual base plan is the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Direct 15, which is considered a platinum plan by the federal government.
According to the press release, the total cost of a union member’s health benefits, including prescription and dental coverage, for family coverage under the Direct 15 plan for the 2019-20 school year is $40,562. Under the current contract, FTEA members pay $7,301 and the board pays the balance of $33,261.
The board’s final offer for the contract modified the contribution rates to be 22% for Direct 15, 18% for Direct 20/40, 16% for EPO and 15% for Omnia. All of those plans are considered platinum plans and the others are less expensive than Direct 15, according to the press release.
“The board’s goal was to incentivize people who voluntarily select a less costly plan with a lower contribution amount, while allowing those members who chose to remain in the Direct 15 to do so, but to contribute more to offset the cost,” the press release states.
“Other district employees, including the superintendent of schools, have voluntarily enrolled in the EPO plan. The cost of family coverage for the EPO plan, including prescription and dental coverage, for the 2019-20 school year is $31,591.
“Based upon the offer of a 16% contribution rate for the EPO, the FTEA member would contribute $5,054, while the board would fund the balance of $26,536. FTEA staff who choose to move to this plan would lower their contribution by $2,246 and therefore see an additional increase in their take home pay,” the press release states.
According to the press release, the board has asked teacher assistants, who currently pay 9% of the cost of benefits, to increase the payment to 13%, which the board said would align the teacher assistants more closely with others in the FTEA and other bargaining units in the district who make a similar salary.
These other staff members currently pay a minimum of 16% for the same base coverage the teacher assistants are provided, according to the press release.
“The board is charged with maintaining fiscal responsibility for the taxpayers while providing a high quality education for the students of the district. We believe this offer fairly compensates the FTEA staff while maintaining an outstanding educational program,” the press release states.