By Ashleigh Costello
EAGnews.org

AMBLER, Pa. — The Wissahickon School Board has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the Wissahickon Education Association as district support staff prepare to strike.

At a contentious meeting Monday, the WEA urged the board to reconsider a previously rejected fact-finding report regarding terms for a new labor contract for school support staff.  The union also asked the board to drop its intention to solicit proposals to contract with vendors to replace the unionized support staff.

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The board refused and the union announced a strike will begin Monday, Oct. 29, unless the board changes its position, reports the Montgomery News.

The contract between the WEA support staff and the district expired June 30.  Negotiations began in January, but little progress has been made.

Those in the support staff include secretaries, classroom aides, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance personnel, lunch assistants, technical assistants, grounds personnel, security personnel and nursing assistants.

A strike would shut down busing operations, forcing parents to provide transportation for students. Superintendent Judith Clark said schools will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. during the strike, to accommodate working parents.  Clark said adults will be on hand to provide supervision for students during the extended time periods, according to the news site.

Ann McDowell, a WEA spokeswoman, said the strike could be averted if the district reconsiders the fact-finding report which reportedly recommends some sort of compromise. The report, which was issued in the spring, was previously rejected by the district.

“If you read the fact-finder’s report, the full proposals are in that report and you will notice, how much further apart we will be,” said McDowell. “Bargaining should bring you closer together, not further apart. The compromise is the only solution for labor peace.”

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The school board said the union “dropped the ball” by refusing to meet over the summer months. By waiting to meet in September, the board claims a number of the fact-finder’s recommendations were inapplicable by Aug. 1.  Now the board has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the union.

At Monday’s meeting, board members issued a statement regarding “challenges to its economic sustainability,” noting it paid more for health benefits and retirement benefits “in order to fund the state’s underfunded retirement system.”  The board also noted the benefits support staff receive far exceed those taxpayers receive in non-governmental jobs, reports the news site.

“How many of our taxpayers will be prepared to pay for the $1,875,000 cost and forget about all of the other needed expenditures of the district? How many of you believe that it is prudent to completely ignore the potential cost savings in subcontracting services (transportation, secretarial, custodial and the like) simply because we have always done our business using our employees in this way?” the board questioned.

“If (the district) is successful in subcontracting to seek out vendors to replace us then it would (mean the elimination of jobs),” McDowell said. He failed to mention that it would also cost the union a great deal of dues revenue.

Clark said the district is doing everything it can to prepare for the strike.

“My primary concern is not this disagreement with adults, but rather with the provision of a safe and productive school environment for our students without any interruption,” Clark said.