High School Teachers' Contract Negotiations Move Forward

Both senior classes at West Morris Central and Mendham high schools graduated Thursday, June 18, marking the end of another school year.

It also marked the completion of the second consecutive year the teacher’s association in the West Morris Regional High School District went without a new contract.

But when classes reconvene in September, a new contract very well could be implemented after a state-appointed fact finder presented a report this week that the board of education is planning on accepting.

Now the ball is in the teacher’s association’s court, with a hard deadline to be adhered to.

In a letter to the communities this week, the board of education said its negotiations committee approved of the fact finder’s report, and will recommend the findings to the full board of education for approval.

“We believe that the report provides for a fair settlement and we ask that the West Morris Regional Education Association (“Teachers’ Association”) also approve and accept the fact-finder’s report, so we can settle the negotiations now and move forward,” the statement read.

Details of the report won’t be made public for 10 days, or until June 25. If either side does not accept the report’s findings within 20 days, the Public Employment Relations Commission will appoint a super-conciliator to “further assist the parties,” the statement read.

There is no set time limit to reach an agreement in the super-conciliation phase.

The teachers’ current contract was a four-year pact that was not agreed upon until two years into negotiations. That accord ran out at the end of the 2012-13 school year.

A message left for Teachers’ Association president Joyce Hartmann was not immediately returned Thursday.