No Vote on School Board's 'Final Offer' Planned

Following the last negotiation session, Neshaminy School Board President Ritchie Webb said in a statement that a state mediator told the school board negotiation team that the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers would be bringing the final offer before the rank and file teachers for a vote.

However, NFT President Louise Boyd said the union "never said anything to that effect." 

"What we did say at the last negotiating session was that we will review the board's offer and we will share and discuss it with our members -- we never said anything about a vote and we have no idea why Webb would say such a thing," Boyd stated.

In a message to members and a letter sent today to community partners, NFT leaders announced plans for a Jan. 2 membership meeting to discuss the status of contract talks and all options moving forward, including the board's proposal and whether to authorize another strike.

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"We will continue to seek ways for teachers to continue to be partners in discussions affecting staff assignments, students’ grades and school safety," Boyd said. After the last negotiation sesson, Webb stated that there were still about "a half dozen issues that the two sides remained apart on, including equal say and past practice."

"We will make sure members understand the Board’s position, but we already have heard from members and know very well how strongly they feel about some of the absolutely critical issues that the Board’s offer fails to resolve,” Boyd said.

“What is most unfortunate is that after weeks of more productive discussion at negotiations, the board is trying to draw another hard line in the sand by calling this their 'final offer.' They seem to be trying to back our membership into a corner.”