Ringgold strike continues after teachers reject another contract proposal
NEW EAGLE 鈥� Despite efforts to work out a new contract during a nine-hour negotiation session Monday and end a work stoppage that began last Wednesday, the Ringgold Education Association (REA) and Ringgold School District were still unable to reach a deal.
According to REA President Maria Degnan, the district offered a proposal but the teachers union rejected the offer. She pointed out that talks broke down on several key issues, including compensation.
鈥淭he district still wants to devalue our salary schedule, and our members have told us very clearly that is not an option,鈥� said Degnan. 鈥淲e have had such severe devaluation with our previous contracts that a teacher on Step 10 today doesn鈥檛 make as much as a teacher made in 2013.鈥�
Degnan added that REA is willing to continue bargaining through the week but said the district has declined to set any additional dates until Nov. 1.
鈥淚 would like nothing more than to bargain a fair deal, get the teachers off the picket line and bring the students back to school,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e remain committed to continue bargaining 24/7, if necessary. Everyone in this community wants this strike to be over.鈥�
School Board President William Stein Jr. believes that substantial progress was made on Monday.
鈥淗owever, there remains significant differences on key issues in terms of salary and benefits,鈥� said Stein. 鈥淭he district remains committed to arriving at a contract that is fair and responsible to our teachers and taxpayers.鈥�
Stein added that these negotiations are complex because of the salary step schedule that was developed several contracts ago.
鈥淎s it is, we wouldn鈥檛 even be allowed by law to raise taxes high enough to pay for what the teachers have asked for,鈥� he said.
Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a return-to-work order for Nov. 21. Ringgold鈥檚 200 teachers could still call a second strike, which would extend the 180-day instruction period to June 30.
Teachers have resumed picketing at district buildings on Tuesday and will continue until a settlement is reached or until they have to return to work on November 21, per requirements of Act 88, Pennsylvania鈥檚 public-sector collective bargaining law.
Earlier on Monday, Superintendent Karen Polkabla issued an announcement on Ringgold鈥檚 website, refuting statements made by REA on its Facebook page.
鈥淭he REA posted that paving contractors refused to cross the picket line because we owed them over $800,000. They further stated that $93,000 of asphalt was wasted because it was delivered and couldn鈥檛 be utilized because of the stoppage and when they refused to work, we 鈥榩roduced the money.鈥� They also make inflammatory statements indicating we could have hired three teachers for the amount of asphalt wasted and how we could produce money to resolve this but not pay the teachers鈥hese statements are entirely false. They reflect complete ignorance of the facts or are a deliberate attempt to disparage and bully the administration,鈥� said Dr. Polkabla.
Degnan said that REA 鈥渞espectfully鈥� removed these claims from its Facebook page. However, she questioned how the school district is choosing to spend its money.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a matter of whether or not they have the money to pay the teachers a fair wage,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that they choose not to do this. They spend money on everything but the teachers. This negotiation is about getting the respect we deserve. And the salaries we have been paid indicate that we are not getting that respect.鈥�
The Ringgold School Board will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at Ringgold High School.