RSU 21 teachers union files second complaint against school board

KENNEBUNK, Maine — For the second time in less than a month, the RSU 21 teachers union has filed a complaint against the district’s school board with the Maine Labor Relations Board.

In this latest complaint, the Kennebunk Arundel Kennebunkport Educators Association accuses the school board of failing to meet its legal obligation to participate in good faith in mediation during ongoing negotiations for a new teachers contract.

“The union, which has worked diligently to ensure competitive wages and fair working conditions for staff, alleges that the district school board’s negotiating team participated only superficially in mediation,” the union said. union in a press release.

Lesley Stoeffler, president of the school board, objected to the allegation, saying the district honored its legal obligations during the talks.

RSU 21 teachers have been working for several weeks under the terms of their contract which expired on August 31. In the meantime, contract negotiations, which began last December, continue.

The Kennebunk Arundel Kennebunkport Educators Association represents more than 200 teachers and specialists employed by RSU 21.

According to the union’s most recent complaint, the school board “made no proposals, counter-proposals or offers of compromise during eight hours of in-person mediation.”

Previous story: RSU 21 Board Member Kirstin Shapiro Faces Recall Election

RSU 21 teachers and school board deadlock over new contract

Jennifer Swan, the union’s lead negotiator, expanded on the complaint Wednesday, saying the school board did not change any of its proposals during an eight-hour in-person mediation session.

“The board made only light and superficial written changes through the ombudsman after weeks of waiting,” Swan said. “On many issues, their proposal is essentially the same as last January.”

Swan said the union “explored possible compromises on literally every issue important to our members” during the mediation session.

“The response from the board has been silence,” Swan said.

Swan added that the union cannot completely capitulate to a contract proposal presented by the board during negotiations in May.

“That would be a disservice to our members, and that’s not how mediation is supposed to work,” Swan said. “The parties are supposed to find a compromise. It seems the board prefers to dictate our working conditions, just as it does in so-called “right to work” states, where teachers have no voice in negotiations.

Swan added that some of the outstanding issues in the talks are those “that are covered by the contracts of each surrounding school district in the area.”

In a statement released by the district on Oct. 10, Stoeffler categorically denied that the board had not fully complied with its legal obligations.

Stoeffler said the board is confident it has demonstrated that it has prepared for the meetings and is willing to “meet with teachers at mutually agreeable times, listen carefully to their concerns, offer proposals and counter-proposals, to adjust its negotiating position and to explain each of its negotiating positions with facts, data and case law.

“The Board of Trustees has been and will remain focused on reaching mutually satisfactory terms for a successor agreement – terms that are fair for our employees, affordable for our taxpayers, and good for our students,” Stoeffler concluded.

Teachers express frustration with contract negotiations

In their press release, union leaders expressed frustration with the lack of progress and described how they believe the stalled negotiations have affected the RSU 21 communities of Kennebunks and Arundel.

Union treasurer Mike McDonald, for example, said RSU 21 includes teachers who are more than just employees and part of a community that nurtures and supports local youth.

“Why wouldn’t you want its teachers – the front-line faces of this work – to have what they need? » he asked.

Teachers union representative Rachel McCarthy said she fears stalled contract negotiations could lead to teachers leaving the district.

“Every time a teacher leaves, students lose,” McCarthy said. “The community loses. These teachers who leave benefit from the best of who we are with them: a community of adults that our students know and trust.

Despite the current tensions, Swan expressed hope that a compromise agreement can be reached and a positive future for the district can begin.

“Imagine seeing our teachers celebrating this district again, returning to the pride we once had,” she said. “Imagine how that would affect our students’ pride as well.”

More: Teachers union RSU 21 disputes board member’s allegations of retaliation in contract impasse

Maine Labor Relations Board to Hear Teacher Union Complaints

The union filed its first complaint with the Maine Labor Relations Board in late September, after an emergency meeting in which school board member Kirstin Shapiro, who is part of the district’s bargaining team for contract negotiations, accused local educators of terrorizing his family through his youth. girl.

As she made her accusation, Shapiro yelled, swore, threatened legal action and threw a stack of papers onto a table. On her head she wore a bandage which she believed was due to a concussion.

The incident prompted the teachers union to file its first unfair labor practice complaint. A press release issued by the teachers union said Shapiro provided no evidence to support his allegations and noted that no complaints had been filed regarding teachers or employees who work in the schools.

In its statement of facts to the Maine Labor Relations Board, the union said it believed Shapiro’s allegations were “false” and representative of efforts by the school board to interfere in ongoing contract negotiations.

Stoeffler called the union’s allegations “false.”

The mission of the Maine Labor Relations Board is to foster and improve relations between public employers and their employees. Its jurisdiction includes school service employees. Helping to resolve disputes is part of his responsibilities.

RSU 21 teachers and school board deadlock over new contract

Teachers express frustration with contract negotiations

Maine Labor Relations Board to Hear Teacher Union Complaints

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