Reynolds support staff eyeing contract

By Monica Pryts
Herald Staff Writer

REYNOLDS March 27, 2008 09:32 pm

— Members of the Reynolds Educational Support Personnel Association are prepared to try to settle a new contract Monday night with the school board.
The two parties had planned to have an informal meeting March 11 to discuss where the union stands on unresolved issues, but it was canceled because not everyone could attend.
RESPA provided its comments in writing to board members and the union will release details on those issues after Monday’s session, said Marcus D. Schlegel of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which is working with RESPA.
“We’ll be glad to discuss these with you after we’ve had an opportunity to discuss the issues with the board, but would prefer to refrain until then,” he said Thursday.
RESPA members hope a new contract will come out of Monday’s meeting, Schlegel said. If the board and union agree on a tentative contract, it will go to RESPA and other school board members for a vote as soon as possible.
“Obviously, the sooner the better, but we always want to make sure that the information and materials presented are 100 percent accurate and agreed upon by the two parties before putting it to a ratification vote,” he said.
If a settlement isn’t reached Monday, Schlegel said he would expect RESPA to seek further negotiations. In August, RESPA members authorized their negotiating team to strike if contract talks didn’t move forward.
RESPA didn’t hit the picket line, but any time the union has the authorization to strike and it’s without a contract, the possibility –– not probability –– of a strike exists, Schlegel said.
On Dec. 20, union members overwhelmingly rejected a contract proposal that the board had unanimously approved the day before.
RESPA issued a news release after rejecting the seven-year proposal, saying members weren’t willing to accept some contract items, including the forfeiture of two paid vacation days and too-high monthly health care premiums that would have been retroactive to July 2005.
RESPA has been working without a contract since the 2005-06 school year and has been negotiating with the board since January 2005.
RESPA represents 58 teacher aides, custodial, maintenance and food service employees and secretaries.
Superintendent Maddox B. Stokes, the board’s chief negotiator for the RESPA contract, did not return a message Thursday afternoon.