Teacher/school mediation talks halted

After numerous meetings and seeing the contract offer of the School Department and the counter offer of the Warwick Teachers Union, mediator Vincent Ragosta has concluded the two sides are so set in “pursing opposing certain core proposals” that the parties would be best off in interest arbitration.

That’s not the way Warwick Teachers Union President Darlene Netcoh sees it. She called Ragosta’s email “disingenuous,” saying it was School Committee chair Beth Furtado who “called off mediation.”

Furtado said yesterday the sides were spinning their wheels and she recommended breaking off mediation until there are signs of movement.

In his Friday email to negotiators for the schools and the union, Ragosta cites the steadfast position of the sides, writing, “meaningful compromise is not probable given these postures.”

Specifically, he lists class weighting, stainines and co-op classes that were part of the contract expiring in August 2015, but eliminated from the contract offer made on Sept. 27 that would have given teachers 3 percent raises for each year of a three-year contract. That offer would have given 10th-step teachers, who make up about 80 percent of the city’s 900 teachers, almost $80,000 in the current year.

But, says Ragosta, “these proposals, which were part of the WSC’s packaged proposal of September 27 were rejected in toto by the WTU, explaining that these issues are ‘near and dear’ to the WTU, and for which they will ‘continue to fight.’”

In an interview Tuesday, Superintendent Philip Thornton said the department rejected a counter offer from the union that would have kept those provisions in the contract and sought raises above those offered by the department.

“We were very far apart on most of the issues,” Thornton said of the union’s offer.

Netcoh said she sent an email to the union membership that Furtado called off mediation. As for those mediation talks, Netcoh said, “We feel they have not made any substantial compromise with us. It’s been up to us to come up with language.”

Furtado said schools started with 72 contract changes that have been whittled down to 12.

“We’ve compromised on most, not all,” she said of key issues to the committee.

As for her request to suspend mediation until there’s some movement, she said, “It seemed the only ones making headway were the attorneys getting paid.”

Netcoh claims the committee “has no reason to bargain with us,” citing what she called “unilateral changes” made in disregard to the terms of the prior contract. She said the breaking of that contract has led to violations of the individual education programs (IEPs) of special needs students.

While saying he will keep the file open and he is prepared to resume mediation if the parties mutually agree, Ragosta concludes, “given the strident and intransigent stances taken on these subject matters by both parties, the most practical forum for dispute resolution is the pending interest arbitration.”

Arbitration has been a long and drawn out process, although by legislation that sets deadlines it should have been wrapped up months ago. Since starting last year, the school committee has nearly completed presenting its position on key issues including weighting, paid sick leave, limitations on the layoff of teachers in response to declining enrollment and school closures, and smaller issues like electronic scoring. The union has yet to present its issues to the arbitrator, Michael Ryan.

“We will keep moving the case forward,” Thornton said. “We would welcome any expanded means of arbitration.” The next arbitration session is set for Oct. 25.

Netcoh doesn’t hold out much hope for arbitration. She said the district has not completed its presentation of issues and the union hasn’t gotten to theirs. Arbitration started about nine months ago.

“It is supposed to take 20 days [as set by state law] and here it is month nine,” said Furtado suggesting the law needed change.

She acknowledged the ongoing contract dispute is, “extremely upsetting to the district,” but added changes are needed and, “the delivery of education is not the same as it was 40 years ago.”