WEA Negotiator Disputes 'Largest Contract' Statement

Two representatives from the Windham Education Association are speaking up following a public statement from school board chairman Ed Gallagher saying that the contract recently offered to teachers was "the largest in (Windham) history."

Cathy Pappalardo, who served as the chief negotiator during the most recent attempt to strike a new deal, told Patch that it was a "misleading term" to call it the biggest deal.

"This is magician mathamatics," said Pappalardo in a written statement. "Any time five grades are added to a district (The Windham Kindergarten and the Windham High School), automatically, a much greater cost is incurred.

Pappalardo didn't say whether or not she supported the amendment proposed by Windham resident Laurie Liddy to add $563,619 to the bottom line of the operating budget article, but did give some clarification as to why the teachers are seeking the money.

"(That money) represents step raises that were voted into the 2008-2011 contract," said Pappalardo. "Many teachers, including most of the teachers hired in our high school, left good jobs in other districts to earn the money that is not being honored from that contract."

Pappalardo said that those teachers left established districts that paid well, but were drawn by the "technology and atmosphere" of Windham.

"Since they arrived, they have worked much harder than ever to establish new curriculum," said Pappalardo. "They expected to do so but they have not been compensated the way they expected."

WEA President Erin Shirley didn't go as far as to say Gallagher's statement was misleading, but did back up the fact that there is a much greater number of teachers to compensate for.

"(We have) about 90 new people on our staff since 2008 when we last negotiated a contract," said Shirley.

She also explained the frozen salaries that teachers are currently experiencing, using the example of a teacher brought in on a seventh year salary scale last year.

"This year is their eighth, and they are still being paid as a seventh year teacher," said Shirley. "Next year, that ninth year teacher is going to still be paid at a seven-year level of compensation."

Shirley said that she didn't necessarily see a problem with the proposed amendment on Feb. 10.

She didn't offer much detail regarding Liddy or the other community members who supported the amendment on deliberative night, nor did she connect the proposal to the union.

Shirley did comment on those teachers who were decked out in red, saying that while they "could have attended the meeting (with) a little more subtlety without wearing a unifying color," that they possess Windham pride.

"Our teachers are very proud of the fact that they are educators here in town," said Shirley.

Liddy also followed up with Patch, explaining that she is not a teacher herself, but rather a frequent volunteer in the middle school and high school.

After hearing what was going on with the people who were hired two years ago, she wanted to pitch in.

"I heard there was going to be an amendment and I asked someone if I could help," said Liddy. 

She was then asked if she would mind presenting the amendment at the deliberative if she agreed with it.

"I said well I mostly agree with it, and you know, we'll see what happens with the voters," said Liddy.

She explained that she didn't want those teachers who had been hesitant to "be forgotten."

"I just can't keep quiet on it though," said Liddy. "I don't think you should treat employees that way."

While Liddy said that she thinks some teachers will go from the district if things don't start to look up, Shirley said that all of the teachers feel that something can get accomplished.

"I don't think anyone feels that it's not worth continuing to work here and be in this district where we're very proud of what we have," she said.

The school board voted 5-0 to not recommend the budget as amended during its Feb. 21 meeting.

Pappalardo also commented on that board meeting, questioning why the board said that they could cut certain items if they lost $235,000 by reverting to a default budget.

"Why can't they find one percent to keep our highly qualified teachers?" asked Papallardo. "Do we want to risk saying that we used to have the biology teacher of the year, but because of two steps on the salary schedule, she now works at a different high school? As a parent, I would be furious."