POTTSTOWN PA – Although the Pottsgrove School District and its teachers’ bargaining unit are in only the initial stages of negotiation for a new labor agreement, developments Wednesday (March 16, 2011) and last week may impact the discussions and what both have to say.
The president of the 191,000-member Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), of which the Pottsgrove Federation of Teachers is a part, on Wednesday asked his union locals to “seriously consider” a one-year pay freeze called for by Gov. Tom Corbett last week in his state budget.
PSEA President James Testerman said he encouraged teachers to talk “with their school boards about a pay freeze or other cost-saving measures to maintain class sizes and academic programs.”
Corbett’s budget proposes deep and broad cuts in state funding for school districts and public colleges and universities. The governor suggested teachers could help districts and possibly save jobs by accepting a pay freeze. In what some observers say is a potentially risky move for Testerman, he endorsed the idea and said his union realizes “tough economic times have hit many of our public school districts.”
- If Corbett’s cuts are enacted, Pennsylvania universities say they will reduce programs and lay off staff members, rather than simply raise tuition to bridge the revenue gap. Read a story on that topic published in today’s edition of The Pennsylvania Independent online news service, here.
In Pottsgrove, particularly, calls for teachers to forgo a salary increase over 12 months are somewhat ironic. The same suggestion was made a year ago by Pottsgrove Board of School Directors‘ President Michael Neiffer, as board members wrestled with property tax rate increases while facing a dire local economy and rising district expenses. Neiffer’s request was, at the time, ignored by the Federation.
Testerman’s suggestion is not binding on any local, and individual units are free to negotiate as they see fit. To that end, both the Federation and the school board have privately planned their bargaining strategies. Pottsgrove directors held an executive session regarding negotiations after their meeting last week (Tuesday, March 8). Sources say Federation work groups have similarly met recently.
The Testerman announcement certainly attracted interest, too, among volunteer members of the Pottsgrove Community Budget Task Force. They were scheduled to meet again Wednesday night at Pottsgrove High School, as they worked to fulfill a school board request to find up to $6 million in district cost reductions or new revenues over the next three or more years.
Pottsgrove’s preliminary 2011-2012 budget of $58.5 million currently includes an estimated deficit of about $2 million, if the governor’s proposed cuts are included, according to district Business Administrator David Nester.
Testerman’s announcement, not surprisingly, found favor with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) of which Pottsgrove directors are a part. “We commend PSEA for calling on its members to work with school boards to address the serious financial issues facing school districts,” said PSBA Executive Director Thomas Gentzel.
Related (to Pottsgrove School District labor negotiations):
- Pay Freeze Endorsed As Pottsgrove Labor Talks Start
- Negotiations Between Teachers, Pottsgrove Officially Begun
- The Question(s) Facing Pottsgrove’s Coming Labor Talks
- Personnel Actions Affect 40+ Pottsgrove Schools Workers
- School Board Discusses Negotiations In Exec Session
- Labor Contract Planning Prompts Pottsgrove Closed Session
Related (to the Pottsgrove School District 2011-2012 budget):
- Pay Freeze Endorsed As Pottsgrove Labor Talks Start
- Pottsgrove High Protesters Exercise Art Of Compromise
- Pottsgrove’s Landis Distributes State Fund Comparison
- Pottsgrove Budget Deficit Balloons With Gov’s Proposal
- MCIU Budgets On Pottsgrove Schools Agenda Tonight
- PA House OKs ‘Cut And Replace’ On Education Funding
- Idea: Other Local Schools Consider Extracurricular Fees
- Idea: Pottsgrove Might Prosper With Own Charter School
- Pooling Resources Could Save Pottsgrove On Special Ed
- Like Pottsgrove Task Force, Outsiders Weigh Cost Vs. Value
- Task Force Crowd Packs Into Pottsgrove For First Session
- School Budget Task Force Kicks Off Its Work Tonight
- Does Western PA School Tax Uprising Foretell Mood Here?
- Pottsgrove Schools Budget Short Another $400,000
- Pottsgrove, As Expected, Adopts Budget First Draft
- Pottsgrove Tentative Budget Adoption Expected
- Weather Postpones Pottsgrove Budget Meeting
- Still Time In Pottsgrove For Budget Volunteers To Enlist
- Challenge To Pottsgrove Budget Advisers: 10 Percent
- Best Guesses, Deficit Launch Pottsgrove Budget Season
- Senate Education Chair Preps For Voucher, Choice Battle
- School Board Questions Pottsgrove Recreation Costs
- Pension Reform Vote Could Benefit Pottsgrove, Others
- Notebook Worthy: News Reporters Made News Tuesday
- Pottsgrove Isn’t Waiting In Search For Budget Volunteers
- If You’ve Got A Budget Idea, Pottsgrove Says It’ll Listen
- Pottsgrove Seeks More Public Input On District Budget
A pay freeze is a good idea. Most of us havn’t gotten a pay raise in several years.
A revisit of the pay scales expecially those of no teaching staff in administration. A review of whether sports coaches should be on staff and what they contribute.
A review of energy systems in the shools and whether Geothermal can be adapted to the older buildings as well.