POTTSTOWN PA – The public business members of the Pottsgrove School District Board of School Directors most wanted to get to Tuesday night (April 26, 2011) actually wasn’t for public consumption.
Directors reviewed their agenda, and voted unanimously on all of its items, within 15 minutes of the meeting’s 7:30 p.m. start. Once done, the board promptly adjourned to convene an executive session for the purpose of discussing contract negotiations with the Pottsgrove Federation of Teachers, the union representing the bulk of the district work force.
The current labor agreement between the two expires at mid-year.
State law allows executive sessions to be closed to the public, giving directors and the district solicitor the privacy they need to discuss negotiating strategy, and to make and evaluate contract offers from both sides. Since negotiations began in February, board members have conducted a bargaining-related executive session at almost every one of their two monthly meetings.
District Superintendent Dr. Bradley Landis, who usually offers a topic for board discussion during every meeting – no matter how brief – had none Tuesday … or, again, at least not for the ears of news reporters or audience members. “The two items I have are for our executive session,” he told directors.
Several teachers have reported the union plans to conduct a meeting with its members regarding contract negotiations tonight (Wednesday, April 27) in the auditorium at Pottsgrove Middle School, 1351 N. Hanover St., Pottstown PA.
Related (to Pottsgrove School District labor negotiations):
- Pottsgrove Got To Bargaining Business Quickly Tuesday
- 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 Board of School Directors’ April 26 meeting):
- Pottsgrove Got To Bargaining Business Quickly Tuesday
- Pottsgrove President Plans For Run As PSERS’ Trustee
Photo from Google Images
I understand these sessions should be restricted but people entering them should go with guidelines and clear directions as to where the community wants them to head.
We need to cost-contain. The days of ever increasing taxes for property owners is over. The public taxpayer is at the breaking point as far as rates is concerned.
We need to do our best to make do with tax rates as they are and freeze them for a while.
I’ve received no wage increases in the last few years, only tax increases. I am contemplating moving to escape ever-escalating tax rates, with no accountability or thought every time the rate increases for this expense or that.
Those in these negotiations should bear that in mind that many are in my situation.