web1_TTL111016GARpractice2CMYK.jpg

GAR bringing adversity into Class 3A title game vs. Scranton Prep

web1_kingsvets02.jpg

‘Selfless service’ of those in military honored at King’s, Wilkes

DALLAS TWP. &#8212; Citing a lack of progress in recent contract talks, Dallas School District teachers union President Mike Cherinka sent a notice Friday that teachers will strike Monday, nine days earlier than previously scheduled.&#8220;The last thing that our teachers want to do is go on strike,&#8221; Cherinka said in a written statement. &#8220;But, an uncompromising school board has forced us into this position. We have given health care concessions to save the school district money, which gives them real savings. But, the school board keeps stonewalling us, which led to this current crisis. Nobody wants to go another year without a new contract,&#8221;The union had first scheduled a strike for Sept. 28, but moved it to Oct. 25, then to Nov. 23.The last scheduled talks were set for Nov. 15. But the strike notice sent out by the union said &#8220;unfortunately, contract discussions between Dallas Education Association and the school board ended this week without a contract,&#8221; prompting the plan to strike Monday.Union lead negotiator John Holland said there were several reasons for rescheduling the strike date, contending the school board has declined to discuss key issues, including a school safety initiative and &#8220;promoting a positive student learning environment.&#8221;&#8220;They absolutely won&#8217;t even talk to us about school safety,&#8221; Holland said.District solicitor and lead negotiator Vito DeLuca countered that both those issues have been pressed statewide by the Pennsylvania State Education Association, to which the Dallas union belongs.DeLuca said the union proposed &#8220;50 different language changes&#8221; related to the issues, but when he asked for specific issues the language would fix in Dallas, the union had no examples.&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a red herring,&#8221; DeLuca said.Holland also said the district has refused to provide the union with a state-mandated Annual Financial Report (AFR), but DeLuca said the district has provided all financial information requested, and the AFR is always completed around the third week of August.DeLuca dismissed two other contentions by Holland: That the district admitted it had $2.6 million in savings this week, and that the school board has yet to give a salary proposal. DeLuca said the &#8220;savings&#8221; were the district&#8217;s fund balance, which has always been public and that &#8220;multiple&#8221; salary matrices have been proposed by the board.Asked about the union claim regarding health care cost savings, DeLuca said the combined savings from the union proposal was &#8220;about $5,000 to $10,000,&#8221; not enough to make a difference.DeLuca reiterated a claim he made since the first strike date was set: The district cannot afford to pay teachers what they are asking, and by state law cannot raise taxes enough to do so. The central issues, he said, have always been saving enough money on salaries, pension costs and health care coverage to avoid steep cuts in district programs.&#8220;They may as well have asked us for unicorns and fairies,&#8221; DeLuca said. &#8220;We don&#8217;t have them.&#8221;The union has worked under terms of an expired contract for 15 months, and negotiations have gone on for about 18 months.By state law, teachers can strike twice in one school year. The first strike must end in time to complete 180 school days by June 15, and the second must end in time to complete those days by June 30. The two sides must go through non-binding arbitration after a first strike.<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Union cites lack of progress for moving up date of work stoppage</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Mark Guydishmguydish@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</shirttailMeta></div>

Dallas School District teachers to strike Monday