Showdown At Central: Teachers' Association Vs. School Board

by Patricia A. Miller

The next Central Regional Board of Education meeting has been moved to a new location - the Central Regional Middle School gymnasium

That's because there won't be enough space in the regular meeting room. Many faculty members, angry parents and concerned students are expected to attend the March 17 board meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

Why? Faculty members have stopped volunteering for special events now that talks for a new contract are now at a standstill.

"We have to make a stand," Central Regional Education Association Michael Mannion said.

The Central Regional high school and middle school teachers have been working without a contract since last June 30. They began negotiations at the end of December 2014, he said.

Both Mannion and Central Regional Business Administrator Kevin O'Shea said they cannot go into detail about the impasse in the contract negotiations, since the matter has now gone to the state Public Employment Relations Commission's fact-finding process.

But Mannion did say the problems center around less take-home pay over the past few years and higher contributions to health care.

It's still possible the two sides could reach an agreement before the Thursday board meeting. But Mannion has his doubts.

"I do have some hope," Mannion said. "But I'm skeptical. It's very difficult at this point."

Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides held two "emergency" meetings last Thursday, one for the high school staff, one for student leaders, Mannion said.

"At each meeting, he pledged to stand by us if a settlement is not reached by Thursday," he said.

There is no set date for the fact-finding matter, but the CREA has received several suggested dates for some time in the spring, Mannion said.

Staff morale is low, he said.

"Nobody enjoys working under an expired contract," Mannion said. "Our students are intuitive. They know this behavior isn't characteristic of our staff. They want answers and we can't provide the answers."

The students are caught in the middle, senior Jade Deaver has said.

Students and parents are upset over the possibility of the traditional events being canceled because of the contract impasse, Deaver said.

While she sympathizes with the faculty's desire for a new contract, "they are taking it out on us," she said. "Parents are really upset because they used the students."

Parlapanides blames Gov. Chris Christie for the impasse.

Parlapanides has said Christie has created a monopoly with the New Jersey state health care plan, which is crippling school districts.

"Our health care (costs) went up 100 percent over the last five years and with the two percent cap, we have only gone up 10 percent. The math does not work."

Some parents have volunteered to staff events in place of the faculty. But that will likely involve background checks for the volunteers, who will need board approval, Mannion said.