NORTHAMPTON — A negotiating dispute between the School Committee and the Northampton Association of School Employees spilled out into Thursday’s committee meeting, filling the meeting room at JFK Middle School with accusations of union busting and loud rounds of applause.
At issue was the question of who should pay the salary and benefits of NASE President Julie Spencer-Robinson during her release time to serve in her union role.
Starting in the 2015-16 school year, the NASE president has performed her union duties full-time. This was made possible by a three-year grant from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which helped pay the salary of the teacher who taught in Spencer-Robinson’s place. The rest of the salary was covered by the union.
The school, meanwhile, paid her replacement’s benefits, in addition to Spencer-Robinson’s benefits and salary. The money paid for the replacement was equal to the salary of a teacher with a master’s degree on salary step level 5 in the Northampton public school system.
This arrangement was made through a one-year memorandum of understanding. Another one-year memo was signed to continue this arrangement for the 2016-17 school year, and the union also voted to raise its dues to fund this state of affairs going forward.
However, the School Committee chose not to move forward with a third such memorandum for the 2017-18 school year. Instead, the committee negotiated with the NASE for the union to pay the salary and benefits of the president, whoever that might be, instead of that of a step 5 teacher.
After the two sides failed to agree, Spencer-Robinson resumed teaching, and is currently teaching eighth-grade history at JFK Middle School.
Prior to the meeting, dozens of NASE members picketed outside JFK, a number of whom carried signs expressing their displeasure.
“Union busting is disgusting,” was a chant that went up from those assembled.
The crowd then filed into the building for the meeting, where they were no less opinionated during the committee’s public comment period.
Spencer-Robinson kicked off the commentary, asserting that the school committee had stonewalled bargaining efforts over the summer, had chosen to negotiate the matter after the collective bargaining agreements were signed, and used her return to full-time teaching as a way to solve a staffing issue.
“You betrayed our trust,” she said.
Spencer-Robinson was followed by a dozen other NASE members, all of whom were quite vocal in their protests of the school committee’s decision.
“You are union busting,” said Suzanne Strauss.
“Please build community and reverse your decision,” said Michelle Eastman.
“Your constituents will be calling you,” said Andrea Egilto.
The importance of the union, and of having a full-time president, was emphasized by a number of speakers. It was also noted that negotiations between NASE and the School Committee have been collaborative, not adversarial, in recent years.
School Committee member R. Downey Meyer, who was on the subcommittee that negotiated the matter with NASE, said the decision was not about union busting, noting that he is a union teacher in another school district. He said the final offer that the School Committee gave to NASE was the language used by Springfield for its release time for its teachers performing union duties.
“My hope is that we can sit down again and … continue to negotiate in good faith,” he said.
Spencer-Robinson, in comments to the Gazette, said the union could not afford to adopt the Springfield proposal, as it would increase union dues by $150. She also said that she wouldn’t run again if the proposal was adopted, because electing her would cost the union more money than hiring someone with a lower salary.
Robinson said she makes around $70,000 a year, while the salary of a step 5 teacher, which the union was prepared to cover, is around $50,000 a year.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.