NFT: Negotiation Session 'Useless' in Closing the Gap

The Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers met in their 44th negotiation session Thursday night, which the NFT deemed "useless in closing the widening gap separating the parties."

At the beginning of the meeting, the school board rejected the union's latest proposal in a way that the NFT stated was "short, to the point and gravely disappointing."

"The district flatly refused to budge from the very same positions that it first stated four years ago and indicated that no further response would be forthcoming," the union said in a statement.

School Board President Ritchie Webb previously said that  at $32,936,684.00, of which $21,414,105.66 is payable out of this year's budget.

Also during the bargaining session, both sides discussed the freezing of teachers' salaries, which has been the case for the past four years after their contract expired in 2008.

"The NFT made clear that the withheld monies belong to the teachers who were entitled to that compensation by reason of their dedicated service and educational advancement. The district’s decision to freeze those earned payments under the assumption that they would not be repaid was a colossal managerial error," NFT negotiators said.

While their salaries have been frozen, teachers have been receiving free health care under the expired contract.

In a statement after the meeting, Webb said that the board proposed one additional negotiation date for September 6 and the NFT "refused to agree, asking the board to put the request in writing to their attorney."

Both parties will meet again July 30 at 6 p.m.