NFT Presents Counter Proposal to Board's Negotiation Team

In the 36th negotiation session, which lasted 90 minutes, the mediator presented the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers' counter proposal to the Neshaminy School Board's negotiation team.

According to a board issued statement, the board didn't "see any significant change in NFT offer."

"This evening the Federation Negotiating Team made yet another effort to close the gap between the District and its employees by offering another proposal to the Board," NFT President Louise Boyd said in a statement posted on the NFT's Facebook Page. Boyd also said that the union "attempted to address all of the District’s primary concerns."

The NFT's counter proposal, according to the board's statement, included the following highlights:

• Full reinstatement of salary steps
• 80 percent of retroactive pay, instead of 100 percent
• As of 7/1/2012, Masters Equivalency (MEQ’s) courses will be approved by joint committee equally represented by district staff and federation members
  

"After flatly rejecting the offer for 80 percent of retro pay, the Board did agree to carefully review and consider the NFT counter proposal, but noted they did not see any significant change in the NFT’s position," according to the board's statement.

"This proposal was based upon an excruciatingly careful review of the District’s finances by our AFT economist. Thus, based upon the results of this study, we were certain that our proposal was comfortably within the District’s ability to pay if it desired a contract with their professional staff," Boyd said, and continued by stating that "it appears that the District has no desire to meet its staff anywhere in the middle."

Negotiation will continue December 6 and December 14.