Teacher Contract Talks Resume: Salaries and the Cost of Health Care Are Sticking Points in the Downingtown District.
By Dan Hardy, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Oct. 12–Negotiators for the Downingtown Area School District and its 850-member teachers union resumed negotiations yesterday in an effort to break a deadlock over salaries and health-care benefits.
The sides met for nearly four hours and talks were continuing late last night. “We’re not making any progress” in reaching an agreement, said Paul Gottlieb, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Education Association.
Teachers have authorized a strike vote but have not given the district the required 48 hours notice for a strike. The union has not set a strike deadline, Gottlieb said.
“There’s not going to be a strike,” at least for now, Gottlieb said as last night’s talks were winding down.
The teachers’ contract expired Aug. 31.
According to a proposal comparison on the district Web site, the district is offering three years of 4 percent raises; the union proposal is for increases ranging from 4.65 percent to 5.3 percent over five years. The district proposed that teachers in the current health care plan pay $61.37 a month for insurance for an individual and $165.46 for a family; the union proposed monthly payments of $31 for an individual and $84 for a family.
Gottlieb said there had been virtually no progress so far. Hundreds of teachers showed up at a school board meeting yesterday to show their displeasure with the pace of the talks.
“Whether or not a strike gets called is tied directly to progress, or lack thereof, in negotiations,” Gottlieb said yesterday.
District spokeswoman Patricia McGlone said: “The board is continuing to negotiate in good faith; they hope to find a solution to the problem very soon. Both sides have been professional and cordial; they have been listening to each other.” The district has more information, along with a strike-contingency plan, on its Web site, www.dasd-adm.org
The Downingtown district, which has an enrollment of 11,724, is Chester County’s largest.
Contact staff writer Dan Hardy at 610-701-7638 or dhardy@phillynews.com.
Inquirer staff writer Melanie Burney contributed to this article.
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