Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Gina Macris
Journal staff writer

TIVERTON -- A neutral arbitrator's award expired today in the long-running labor stand-off between the School Committee and 188 public-school teachers, who have been working without a contract since September 2007.

The School Committee voted 3-2 about 10 days ago to postpone a vote until it knows the impact of the state budget crisis on local education aid during the current fiscal year.

But the union maintains that the proposal, once expired, must go back to arbitration. No arbitration date has been set, according to Amy Mullen, union president.

The retroactive two-year agreement, ratified by teachers, would have given them net increases ranging from about $1,100 to $2,500 after they absorbed added out-of-pocket costs for health care in the current fiscal year.

The arbitrator's award differed from the School Committee's final offer by only a quarter of 1 percent, according to School Committee chairman Jan Bergandy, who said the Committee's decision had everything to do with the economy and nothing to do with teachers.

But Mullen said the union is "disappointed with the School Committee and disgusted with the superintendent."

Teachers are taking no job action, but the Committee's stance has adversely affected morale, she said.

Efforts to reach Bergandy and any spokesmen in the office of Schools Supt. William Rearick were unsuccessful today.

Meanwhile, Mullen said elementary school teachers have filed a grievance because Rearick has not supplied them with materials or time to pack their materials for an expected move in January to two newly renovated buildings.

 Tags  Tiverton

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