Teachers union has been working without a contract since Sept. 1, 2009, and teachers are wearing buttons in support of their effort to get a new deal.
Unable to reach a compromise on a new teachers contract, talks between the School Administrative District 6 School Board and the teachers union have become bogged down and look to be headed toward “fact finding,” Marc Sawyer, a teacher at Bonny Eagle High School and head of the Saco Valley Teachers Association, said Tuesday.
Teachers in the district have been working without a contract since Sept. 1, 2009, and have been in mediation for several months with the teacher’s contract still far from resolved. Fact finding, the last step of the negotiation process, could result in a ruling from a three-member independent panel regarding the teacher’s contract.
“We’ve been going through this for more than a year now, trying to reach a compromise. We realize things are pretty tough and we recognize people are hurting, but at the same time, the majority of the teachers here want to see the process through,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer said SAD 6 teachers are being paid according to last year’s pay schedule, which they say is much lower than surrounding towns. Sawyer said the low pay is a disincentive for attracting good teachers to the district, and that the continued lack of a contract is hurting morale.
“It’s starting to impact the students. Teachers are working to their contract. If the contract says we’re supposed to work 7:10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. that’s what we’re doing,” Sawyer said.
While Sawyer said teachers are putting in extra time for paid positions such as coaching or directing extracurricular activities, other additional activities not called for in the contract, such as working with a student who wants extra help after school, are often not being met.
“At this point, we feel it’s an insult. And if you look at the history, it seems like it’s an ongoing issue. Every three years we seem to have this problem. So, as a result, teachers are less motivated. Don’t get me wrong, they are doing their jobs. But without a contract, the motivation understandably isn’t there,” Sawyer said.
Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Lukas said the administration is not able to discuss the ongoing negotiations, or who the mediator is, because that would violate an agreement not to talk about the issues in public.
“It has to be held confidential. The board may make a public statement in a few days, but both sides have agreed not to talk about it, so I’m not going to discuss it,” Lukas said.
With pressure on local school boards to rein in spending, collective bargaining in districts throughout the state “are very difficult at this time,” Lukas said.
Karen Connary, a member of the SAD 6 board and on the board’s salaries and personnel subcommittee, echoed Lukas’s comments, saying the discussions are confidential.
“My position is that whatever we do, that it’s completely above board. But it has gone on a long time,” she said.
Since they are working under last year’s salaries, Sawyer said, teachers in the district are earning less than their colleagues in other towns. Sawyer said a teacher at Bonny Eagle with 10 years of experience and a master’s degree is currently earning $5,000 to $6,000 less than the teacher would earn in Gorham. And a teacher with 17 years’ experience and a master’s degree earns $57,395 in Gorham and $47,000 at Bonny Eagle, he said.
Sawyer said the union’s stance is that SAD 6 needs to step up compensation if it expects to lure and keep quality teachers.
“Our No. 1 concern is salary equity. In order to retain good teachers you have to pay appropriate compensation,” Sawyer said.
He also said teachers in the school system are wearing bracelets or pins that read: “I am working without a contract.” Sawyer said students are taking notice of the teachers’ display of protest and asking questions.
“We’re really torn,” Sawyer said. “The reason we teach isn’t the money, it’s the students. But at some point, our integrity is being challenged, our feeling of worth. And I personally am feeling the need to provide for my family, as I’m sure many others are. Don’t get me wrong, I feel fortunate to be employed, but we can’t continue to work for the same amount of money every year. That’s the bottom line.”
Bonny Eagle teachers are wearing this button indicating they have been working without a contract since Sept. 1, 2009. Contract negotiations are headed for fact finding, which could soon bring an end to the impasse. Teachers and the school board have been negotiating for more than a year for the teachers’ three-year contract. (Courtesy photo)Send questions/comments to the editors.
