Who's To Blame? Hillsborough Teacher Contract Remains Unsettled

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Negotiations between the Hillsborough Board of Education(HBOE) and the Hillsborough Education Association(HEA) have come to a stand still after both sides failed to come to an agreement at a recent contract settlement meeting.

Now both sides are pointing fingers at one another as to who is to blame. The HBOE says the HEA is unwilling to compromise, while the HEA says the HBOE is focused on proposals that would hurt the district.

The HBOE released a statement on Tuesday following a second mediation session on Aug. 14. The meeting was initially scheduled for Sept. 12, but was moved up. There is controversy over who initiated the earlier meeting.

"While the Board was optimistic that a contract settlement could be reached at the second mediation session, particularly since the Association was so insistent on meeting before Sept. 12, it was extremely disappointing that once in mediation, the Association did not change its prior bargaining position and forced the mediation session to end because it declined to make any counterproposal to the Board for settlement," according to the BOE's statement.

HEA President, Henry Goodhue, says the board were the ones that requested the earlier meeting.

"Unfortunately, however, at a time where our district is seeing a shortage of applicants and vacancies in crucial positions, the Board remained focused on pursuing proposals that were not in line with county trends and would further erode our district’s success. The Board’s 'extreme disappointment' at the HEA’s inability to accept such proposals is surprising as it not only shows an unwillingness to settle this matter amicably, but also belies their true intentions when it comes to attracting and retaining the best candidates for our students and schools," the HEA said in a statement.

The HBOE and the HEA have been trying to reach an agreement over the past after five months of direct negotiations and two sessions with a State-appointed mediator that combined to more than 14 hours of continued negotiations.

Negotiations continue to fall apart over critical issues including salary, the work day for part-time employees, tuition reimbursement criteria and the length and content of professional learning communities.

The HEA contract expired on June 30. Hillsborough teachers and staff are continuing to work under the expired agreement at their current salaries and benefits.

Moving forward it will be up to the state-appointed mediator to decide whether another session will be helpful in finding a resolution. If an agreement is still not reached the state will appoint a Fact Finder to come in, issue a report and make a recommendation for a settlement. This process will likely not finish until later in the school year.

"For these reasons, the Board hopes that the Association will return to the mediation process with a commitment to settlement, which requires compromise and a mutual exchange of proposals," the HBOE stated.

"The HEA remains committed to settling a contract representative of the excellence and dedication of our members, and one that safeguards the success of our district and students. We strongly encourage the Board to cease the needless expense of taxpayer dollars on legal fees and commit to settling a contract that will keep Hillsborough's schools among the best in the state. We also encourage the Board to embrace transparency and facts when communicating with the public," the HEA stated.

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