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Dorrance Twp. appeals board to decide on dispute

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<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; The Dallas Education Association provided the school board with many opportunities for teachers to make up seven work days, union President Michael Cherinka said Tuesday.</p><p>Cherinka&#8217;s comments follow Monday&#8217;s board decision to deny a union grievance filed in response to docking teacher salaries for the unworked days. The move would recoup $500,000 for the district.</p><p>&#8220;We actually had three Saturdays scheduled for the seniors to come in,&#8221; Cherinka said, adding the dates were May 20, 27 and June 3.</p><p>Teachers were also willing to be in classrooms over the winter holiday break from Friday, Dec. 23, to Monday, Jan. 2, he noted.</p><p>The dates, however, were dismissed by the Dallas School Board and could cost the district a percentage of its state funding, said Cherinka.</p><p>Calls to Superintendent Thomas Duffy and district Business Manager Grant Palfey to confirm Cherinka&#8217;s claims were not returned by press time Tuesday.</p><p>A 22-day teachers strike combined with snow days prevented teachers from completing the required number of instructional days by June 30.</p><p>On Monday, Cherinka stormed out of the school board meeting after the union&#8217;s grievance was denied in a 6-1 vote.</p><p>&#8220;I was frustrated,&#8221; Cherinka said. &#8220;Recently, we gave them (the school board) a list of ways to work the seven days. But only one person got it.&#8221;</p><p>Cherinka was referring to school board member Kristin Pitarra, who voted against the grievance denial.</p><p>Board members Patrick Musto, Larry Schuler, James Gattuso, Catherine Wega, Sherri Newell and Jeff Thomas supported the resolution. Charles M. Preece and Gary Youngblood were absent.</p><p>The union will pursue an arbitration process to resolve the pay dispute, said Cherinka.</p><p>Arbitration requires a neutral, third party to hear both the union and district positions to determine if the teachers get paid.</p><p>&#8220;I think we have a good case,&#8221; Cherinka said. &#8220;It could take until next year at this time to receive a decision. Arbitration is a long process.&#8221;</p><p>Meanwhile, negotiations for a new teachers contract are occurring regularly, Cherinka said.</p><p>&#8220;We had a meeting right before the board meeting (Monday),&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are many more scheduled right up through August.&#8221;</p><p>Cherinka said there are no &#8220;tentative agreements signed yet.&#8221; The board&#8217;s negotiation committee and the union are &#8220;focusing on the little things,&#8221; he explained.</p><p>In the spring, the union filed an intent-to-strike notice for Sept. 5, the first day back to school. Cherinka could not say, at this time, if that strike would occur.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>DEA president &#8216;frustrated&#8217;board denied pay grievance</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>SCHOOL PLANS UNVEILED</strong></p><p>Preliminary designs for a new school to replace the 45-year-old prefabricated Dallas Elementary School were presented to the school board Monday.</p><p>Alloy 5 architect Randy Galiotto said the project would require grade configuration between Wycallis and Dallas elementaries, which both currently house kindergarten to fifth grades.</p><p>The proposed 57,371-square-foot building would house third, fourth and fifth grades. Kindergarten, first and second grades would be located in Wycallis.</p><p>The estimated $18.5 million school would be built on the district&#8217;s campus, next to Wycallis.</p><p>Both schools would share a bus pad off Conyngham Avenue.</p><p>The proposed building plan includes a gymnasium, lobby and cafeteria, as well as music and art rooms, a media center (library), and eight third-grade classrooms on the first floor.</p><p>Eight fourth-grade and eight fifth-grade classrooms are proposed for the second floor.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Union boss: Dallas teachers gave board options to make up days