AMHERST — The union representing teachers, paraprofessionals and clerical staff of the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst Regional schools is calling for an end to mediation as a method for reaching a new contract.
A rally demanding a fair contract, to succeed the three-year deal that expired July 1, 2021, will be staged Saturday, from 10 to 11 a.m. on the Town Common, by members of the Amherst-Pelham Education Association.
A statement issued by the union’s leadership team expressed frustration that mediation, approved by the state’s Department of Labor Relations at the request of the Amherst Regional School Committee, led to canceling negotiating sessions and a lack of meetings over the summer.
“APEA believes this tactic was done to exclude rank-and-file members from the process, and they are going to fight as hard as they can to return to regular negotiations so that their members can continue to be part of the process as silent representatives,” reads a statement from the APEA Executive Board.
But Allison McDonald, chairwoman of the negotiating subcommittee for the Amherst Regional School Committee, explained that mediation was only sought when an impasse was reached, and that an unfair labor practice charge has also been filed against APEA accusing it of failing to bargain in good faith.
Interest-based bargaining, to identify areas of shared interest, began with three units of the union last December, though in February the union asked to abandon this in favor of traditional collective bargaining, which involves offering proposals and counter proposals.
That stalled out at the end of June, McDonald said, in part because the union asked for compensation increases totaling over $15 million per year. That proposal was an increase of $12 million over an initial proposal, and $14.4 million more than what was available in the district budgets approved by the member towns of Amherst, Pelham Leverett and Shutesbury.
“Our towns cannot afford that level of increase in funding for schools,” McDonald said. “And, our districts can’t afford that level of compensation increase within the available funding without severe cuts to staffing and programs.”
On July 11, the state labor relations panel found that negotiations were at a stalemate, though made no determination regarding alleged unfair labor practices.
“We look forward to reaching a compromise agreement with the APEA that continues to provide highly competitive compensation for our teachers and staff, is compatible with what our district and towns can afford, and that provides the level of educational programs and services that our communities expect,” McDonald said.
The union said it is seeking fair compensation, safe conditions and sustainable workloads, and wants an end to closed-door mediation where the sides are not facing each other.
“The APEA bargaining team is preparing for a session with the Department of Labor (Relations) in October to present their side of the case and attempt to return to traditional negotiations,” the union said.
