Frustrations Grows as Teachers, District Fail to Agree on Contract

Despite 12 months of contract negotiations and two recent mediation sessions, no agreement has been reached between Princeton Regional School District and its teachers’ union.

Teachers in the district have been working with an expired contract since June 30 and say they are frustrated by what they see as stonewalling by the Board of Education.

School district officials say times have changed and faced with high unemployment and lower property tax caps, they are under increasing pressure to be diligent stewards of taxpayer dollars.

At issue in a new teachers’ contract are disputes over salary and benefits, said Joanne Ryan, president of the teachers union, called Princeton Regional Education Association. Ryan declined to comment on specifics.

Teachers wearing matching blue t-shirts have packed Princeton's monthly Board of Education meetings to show union support; some even held signs, including one that read "Settle Now."

"We have heard the board say publicly that they want to settle this contract and yet behind closed doors there is no evidence of that fact," Ryan said Tuesday. "Instead of working collaboratively on a solution that is acceptable to both parties the board is demonstrating a disrespectful attitude toward our negotiations team and our entire membership at large."

Andrea Spalla, a member of Princeton Regional Schools negotiating team, said both all parties are bound by non-disclosure agreement.

"The board therefore will not comment on the union's statements or characterizations about the specifics of those negotiations," Spalla said. 

School officials note a fragile economic recovery, high unemployment and state government decisions that sometimes negatively affect school districts.

“School boards, teachers and community members are all in a new landscape since we last held negotiations with the teachers in 2008, before the economy crashed,” Board of Education President Rebecca Cox said at Tuesday’s board meeting.

In 2008, the state’s property-tax levy was 4 percent, health care contributions were lower, and state contract averages were about 4.5 percent, Cox said. Today, the tax levy cap is at two percent and recent state settlements reflect the new laws.

Princeton has contracts with both its support staff and administrators. Support staff agreed to a 2 percent increase this year and administrators recently signed a three-year contract with pay increases of 1.98 percent, 2.25 percent and 2.25 percent, beginning this year.

Five of the six school districts in Mercer County have expired teachers’ contracts, Cox said and 100 districts in New Jersey are at some form of impasse. Only six districts have ratified teachers’ contracts since June, she said.

“This is about all of us working together to reach a resolution,” Cox said. “We are ready with our proposals and looking forward to our next mediation session on Jan. 5.”

But Ryan said stonewalling appears to have been the district’s plan from the start, as evidenced by canceled meetings and not providing requested documentation.

“(Superintendent) Wilson was recently quoted (on Oct. 28) as saying ‘we know that children’s levels of comfort, confidence and trust matter ever bit as much as academic achievement and excellent instruction,’” Ryan said. “What happens when trust and confidence and leadership are lost? What happens to that “excellent instruction?

“This PREA leadership is more than frustrated,” she said. “No contract, still working, still caring.”