By Nick Buglione
In an often spirited and emotional meeting at the Holiday Inn on Old Country Road, parents had the rare opportunity to directly question the union about the issues holding up contract talks, and how the snail-like progress of the negotiations is affecting the community.
A small but vocal contingent of parents from Parkway Elementary School said they were angry and hurt to learn that teachers weren't planning on attending the school's 50th anniversary celebration on June 3, in protest of the fact that they're working without a contract. "I am chairperson of the 50th anniversary," said Rose Fuger, a parent and a member of the Parkway PTA, who cried when she spoke. "I've been working on this for a year and a half, and because it falls in the wrong month, not one teacher is coming."
Meadowbrook Elementary School had a party for its 50th anniversary in April, an event some teachers did attend. A rumor had been circulating among Parkway parents, however, that the union was now encouraging teachers not to attend such events until there's a new contract. "We also heard [they're] picketing that night," said parent Kathy Volpe.
John Gallagher, president of the East Meadow Teachers Association, which represents some 700 teachers, nurses, guidance counselors and assistants who have been working without a contract since their previous 5-year deal expired last Aug. 31, said the union gave no such directive. "What you may be witnessing is that teachers may be feeling frustrated," Gallagher said, adding that he would look into the matter. "I can call over to Parkway and find out what's happening. I'm not going to say it's going to fix anything."
Already, 800 people are set to attend the Parkway celebration. "Not having [teachers] there for the 50th birthday, to me it's a negative message," said Nadine Salzman, a New York City school teacher whose daughter attends Parkway. "How are you gaining our support if you're going to do something hurtful to us?"
One parent at the meeting said he understood why teachers might not want to attend the school event. "If my boss didn't negotiate my contract for a year, I wouldn't go to the company picnic, I wouldn't go to the pizza party," said Bill Alderman, who has a son in East Meadow High School.
In contrast to previous contract negotiations, during which teachers have refused to advise clubs, take classes on field trips and show up for extra help, it has been business as usual at the schools, and parent Charles Carter applauded the teachers' professionalism. "In past years, you have taken action that has gotten the community in an uproar," he said. "This year you didn't do that, and I thank you for that."
Teachers have been picketing outside the schools before classes, dressing in black and wearing buttons that read "Negotiate now!" and "Working without a contract."
Nevertheless, it has been a year since the district and the teachers union first sat down to work out a new contract, and only minimal progress has been made. This is the longest negotiations have gone in the East Meadow School District without an agreement.
In September, a state-appointed mediator was brought in to facilitate contract talks. The three parties have met about a dozen times, most recently on May 12, a meeting that, encouragingly, lasted through the night.
Still, school administrators insist that the proposals teachers have on the table couldn't feasibly be implemented without bankrupting taxpayers. Meanwhile, the union charges that the district has a history of employing stall tactics and not bargaining in good faith during contract talks. To date, neither side has mentioned any specific sticking points.
Though the mediator has advised the union not to elaborate on the issues, it's clear that health insurance and salary are among the major concerns. East Meadow teachers must pay 15 percent of their health plan, while teachers in most other school districts pay only 10 percent. In light of skyrocketing health-insurance expenses, East Meadow school officials are now asking teachers to consider paying 25 percent.
Teachers are complaining that it takes a long time to reach maximum salary, and that their maximum salary is less than that of teachers in other school districts. It takes an East Meadow teacher 36 years to reach a maximum pay of $99,689. "Hicksville teachers teach 17 years to make their maximum salary, and the maximum salary they make in 17 years is more than the maximum salary East Meadow teachers make in 36 years," Gallagher said. Hicksville teachers max out at $101,927.
Teachers are also miffed that the Board of Education granted Superintendent Dr. Robert Dillon a three-year contract extension at the end of 2003, months before it was set to expire, along with a hefty raise.
While the meeting was held just a day before the proposed 2005-06 East Meadow school budget was put to a community vote, Gallagher urged residents to vote yes on the plan. "A budget passing is important for education in East Meadow," Gallagher said, adding that voting down the budget "won't encourage or discourage negotiations."
Until a new deal is reached, teachers will continue to work under the terms of their expired contract. If mediation fails, both parties can enter into what's known as the fact-finding stage, in which both sides submit their arguments to another state-appointed representative on the specific issues stalling the talks, such as wages, health insurance and retirement incentives. After considering all the arguments, the representative offers recommended solutions on each issue.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
