Teachers Show Up to Protest Lack of Contract

As the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education and teachers' union representatives came to an "impasse" in contract negotiations, district teachers once again showed up in force at the monthly board of education meeting on Wednesday night, Feb. 16.

Wearing green t-shirts declaring "I am SOMEA" — for "South Orange Maplewood Education Association" — the teachers first peacefully assembled outside the administration building at 525 Academy St. holding candles and flashlights, then filed inside, filling chairs and standing three deep at the back of the meeting room.

Jennifer Skates, a second grade teacher from Marshall School, addressed the board of education on behalf of her colleagues during the first public comment portion of the meeting:

"I am proud to be a teacher, and I am proud to be a member of SOMEA," she began. Skates said she was "concerned because we are without a contract."

"I'm making less today than three years ago," said Skates, who has been a teacher for four years. "Our salaries are frozen but our contributions keep increasing." Skates said that she and other teachers do not feel valued by their employer. She complained teachers are continually asked to "do more with less," and that many had taken on second jobs.

"I realize it's a difficult time for everyone, but I feel I am worth more than the $28,000 I will take home this year."

Skates received a standing ovation from the audience.

SOMEA members have been without a contract since June 2009. Earlier this week, the News-Record reported a quote from Board of Education President Mark Gleason alluding to salary and health care provisions as sticking points. SOMEA's Paula Bethea told the News-Record that there “are many more issues than just those two.” The board of education has filed a notice of impasse request to PERC — the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission.

At the Feb. 16 board of education meeting, Hannah Edelman of SOMEA confirmed, saying, "We are at an impasse." Added Edelman, "There's far more on the table not alluded to in the terms and conditions that we can't discuss."

During the budget presentation, Superintendent of Schools Brian Osborne showed a chart with proposed salary increases for teachers (and all staff) of 2%. "This is not an offer," said Osborne. "It's a budget." Osborne said he is budgeting salary increases at 2% because that is the state-mandated budget cap, not because that is what is being offered in negotiations. Osborne said he needed to fill in some number to move forward with the budget process. He said that the number could be adjusted once the more is known about the amount of state aid the district will receive. Osborne noted that 0% salary increases were budgeted last year because "we were in such a crisis."

After the budget presentation, another second grade teacher from Marshall School acknowledged the contract negotiations are "a hard process. And from tonight's meeting we know there is no money." But she said that members of the administration are getting salary adjustments and and are "given more resources to do their jobs."

However, the teacher did not blame the administration for the budget impasse.

Edelman felt teachers were bearing more of the brunt of budget cuts than the administration. "A lot of this has a direct impact on the children," she said.

Last year,Gleason explained the merit bonus pilot program had been negotiated as part of the 31 employees' previous ASCA contract which expired in June 2010. The money for the the merit bonuses had been allocated in the 2009-10 budget and was carried forward into the 2010-11 budget.

Administrators had agreed on the merit pay program before their contract expired in June 2010. Last year, Gleason would not comment on whether such an incentive program was part of ongoing negotiations between the board of education and SOMEA. He did say, "Personally, I support compensation plans that link compensation to student achievement."