YORK, Maine — Teachers are ramping up their protest over working without a new contract, with the York Teacher Association president this week saying morale is suffering and teachers are “disheartened” by the impasse with the School Committee.
Superintendent Lou Goscinski said it’s important for the public to know “the vast majority of issues” pertaining to a new contract have been resolved and only a few are outstanding.
“With the items remaining, both sides have legitimate viewpoints,” he said, adding he “feels confident” that agreement will be reached in the near future.
YTA President Bill True said it’s been more than 30 years since teachers have started a school year without a contract. Teachers have been attending en masse all School Committee meetings since September, many carrying signs that state, “Support York teachers. They’re working without a new contract!”
“Morale is very low. We are professionals and we want to be respected and valued for the work we do and for our dedication to our students,” True said. “Most teachers in this district have a master’s degree, and some have even more advanced degrees, yet we’re not being treated with the professionalism.”
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After 22 negotiating sessions that began a year ago and ended Aug. 28, the School Committee ended further negotiations and decided to bring in a mediator to settle outstanding issues. The teachers are working under terms of the old contract that ended Aug. 30.
Goscinski said mediation “is part of the collective bargaining process. When you get to the point after that many sessions and you can’t resolve the few outstanding issues, you need to bring someone in to find common ground.”
“We are more than disheartened by the School Committee’s actions,” True said, adding he does not believe the committee is holding up its part of that bargain. “The York TA hopes the School Committee realizes the importance of following a path forward that honors the core values of both the association and the district.”
Goscinski said he wants to make clear that the teachers “are doing a wonderful job. We have great folks in this district. And there’s been some really good work done to date.” He also said negotiations don’t get to this point unless there are legitimate differences.
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School Committee Chairwoman Brenda Alexander, who was on the negotiating committee, was not immediately available to comment. She said in an earlier interview that, “in general terms, there are some things we have agreed to (in a new contract) but some remain open.”
Key among teachers’ concerns is the fact that although they are working under the old contract, True said there has been an increase in health insurance costs. As a result, he said, teachers are making less money than they did last year.
True also said teachers have the longest teacher work year in York County and one of the longest in the state — an issue raised by the YTA during the negotiating process, he said.
“As a community, it is important we respect the work happening in our schools and treat the teachers who are working in them fairly,” True said. “For a district that continues to be ranked among the best in the state, with students who are engaged in their learning, we need to ensure we are placing a high value on education.”
Goscinski said no date has been set for the first mediation session, but he anticipates it will take place sometime in October. Each side pays $500 per three-hour session to the mediator.
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