By Mike Schnitzel
by refusing to meet with Valley Stream Teachers Association representatives in joint negotiations with the elementary districts.
The village¹s four school districts have traditionally negotiated contracts collectively with the teachers¹ union, but the high school district is seeking to break with that practice and conduct its own negotiations with the union. Acrimony between the districts and the teachers was exacerbated when officials from the elementary school districts failed to show up at a Feb. 12 negotiating session, citing the high school district¹s decision not to participate in the joint negotiations.
VSTA President Richard Herrmann said that the elementary districts¹ absence in February violated their contract with the teachers, and that the union would file improper practice charges against them, in addition to charges it has already filed against the high school district. ³Our goal is to make them comply with the contract, which is what they agreed to do in writing and have done for the last 50 years,² Herrmann said.
VSTA filed suit against the high school district after its Board of Education decided to break away from the joint negotiations last August. The school board¹s decision was unanimously reaffirmed at the high school district¹s January public meeting.
The high school board decided to secede from joint negotiations because, it said, some critical issues could be better addressed in one-on-one talks with the teachers¹ union. Speaking to the audience at the August Board of Education meeting, Iadevaio said that district officials felt that teacher-student contact time and reconfiguration of the school day were two of those issues.
Peter Lanzo, a labor relations specialist with New York State United Teachers, which counsels VSTA, said the high school district¹s decision is a violation of the Taylor Law, a labor relations statute that covers most workers in New York, including teachers. ³We believe there has been a violation of the law and a violation of the clear, unambiguous language of the contract,² Lanzo said. ³I am not that optimistic there will be a settlement, but VSTA is certainly willing to discuss one.²
Richard Zuckerman, an attorney who represents the high school district as well as the elementary districts¹ negotiating coalition, said that the high school district had told VSTA that it would be the only district in attendance at the Feb. 12 meeting. ³When only the high school showed up to the meeting, VSTA insisted that the elementary districts also be there,² Zuckerman said. ³When that didn¹t happen, they left.²
Zuckerman added that the high school district¹s decision to pull out of joint negotiations did not violate the Taylor Law or the districts¹ contract with VSTA.
Anthony Iadevaio, president of the high school district Board of Education, said that the district would comply with any ruling issued by PERB. He added that he would make a statement addressing the labor situation at the board meeting on April 10.
In a letter published in the March 22-28 issue of the Herald, ³Schools must negotiate with VSTA,² Herrmann wrote that the district could have asked for more time to discuss high school issues without pulling out of the bargaining coalition. ³If they actually believed that to be true,² Herrmann wrote, referring to the high school district¹s contention that not enough time was devoted to high school issues during negotiations, ³then all they had to do was to request separate caucus sessions as part of the ground rules when they met with us during the original bargaining session ...²
The current contract between VSTA and the school districts expires on June 30.
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
