Update: School Board and NFT Meet, But Not Face-to-Face

For about three hours, the Neshaminy School Board and Neshaminy Federation of Teachers [NFT] used the state mediator as the go-between rather than meet face-to-face during Wednesday's negotiation session.

"Much of the evening was spent arguing –through the mediator – over costs," NFT President Louise Boyd said in an e-mail following the meeting.

Though the school board rejected the NFT's latest offer, the board proposed to accept the union's requested health plan of choice provided that NFT members contribute 15 percent toward their premiums, according to the board's statement issued following the meeting. The cost of this plan is actually less than the plan the Board proposed July 18th. 

Assuming a 15 percent contribution by the teachers, the savings to the district is over $4 million for the first year and will continue to yield "significant" savings every year thereafter, according to a clarification issued by the board Thursday.

The 15 percent contribution would be consistent with the rate paid by all other district bargaining units and existing retirees would be required to pay this contribution. Future retirees may obtain insurance coverage if they pay 100 percent of the premium.

The board also offered to reinstate teachers for education credits not recognized over the past three years. The one-time cost of this expense will be approximately $2 million. This is for education credits only, not service steps.

"By recognizing education credits, the Board is looking to help the younger teachers in a way that will reaffirm our commitment to their valued service. Beyond this point, however, the Board will no longer recognize MEQ credits," as stated in the board's clarification.

According to the board's clarification, "the combination of these two moves provide the NFT with some concessions they are looking for, and tax payers will benefit from the net-positive impact that will result from the much-needed savings from the high cost of health care premiums."

The board is continuing to negotiate from and is using that as the basis for its ongoing negotiations.

The NFT had questions regarding cost projections, according to the board's statement, and the state mediator will meet with finance representatives from both groups to qualify the numbers.

"The parties’ inability to agree upon the actual cost of proposals continues inhibit significant progress," Boyd said.

Boyd also said that Jewell Gould from the American Federation of Teachers [AFT] and a member of the negotiating team will meet personally with district representatives "in an effort to agree with precision regarding those actual costs."

No new meeting has been set at this time, but one will be scheduled following the meeting between the mediator and the finance representatives.