Letter To The Editor: Mendham Borough Teachers Dismayed As BOE Stalls Negotiations

MENDHAM, NJ— The following is a letter to the editor, sent to Patch by the Negotiations Team for the Mendham Borough Education Association:

The teaching staff of the Mendham Borough School District is disappointed at the Board of Education’s lack of good faith bargaining as we work to reach a new agreement to replace the contract which expired in June of 2016. Plans move forward as we organize for a fair contract settlement.

Since the fall of the 2015-2016 school year, the Mendham Borough Education Association (MBEA) has been working to achieve a fair and just contract settlement with the Board of Education. The Board has continuously stated their goals in public statements, yet have not delivered on what they promised as a competitive compensation package. In November of 2016, we agreed to consider different health care options; however, the Board of Education failed to present any alternative offer until March of 2017, stringing the MBEA and our families along with an expired contract and a lack of good faith intent toward the negotiations process. After considering the Board’s offer as substandard, the MBEA decided to proceed with the next stage of mediation.

On Wednesday, April 19, 2017, the state-appointed mediator met with both the MBEA and the Board of Education where both sides continued to bargain in good faith for nearly nine hours to reach a mutually-agreeable outcome. With the exception of the Board’s proposal to reduce the individual and common planning time for teachers, both sides were in agreement when negotiations ended at 3:30 A.M. However, by Friday afternoon, April 21st, the Board communicated that they decided not to honor what we had believed to be a tentative agreement, once again demonstrating their disregard for their teaching staff and the bargaining process.

The MBEA has demonstrated every intention of working collaboratively with the Board to discuss and resolve the issue openly and amicably. The MBEA even tried to meet again on Monday, April 24th, but the Board refused to meet or entertain any other counter-proposals, again delaying the process, stalling an agreement, deferring to their lawyers, and sending a clear message of their unwillingness to bargain in good faith with the teachers of Mendham Borough. In addition, our Board is sending a message to their taxpayers that they are willing to spend thousands on legal fees for these mediation sessions rather than sit at the table and do what they were elected to do.

But while our professional teaching staff perform our jobs as we were hired to do, we continue to experience a recurrent reduction in take-home pay as a result of our continued health insurance premium contributions as required by New Jersey state law. Many of our professional staff pay upwards of 30% of their health care premium; a percentage that far surpasses many of those in the private sector. Meanwhile, the average salaries of Mendham Borough teachers continue to fall short in comparison to our adjoining districts in the region (Chester Twp., Mendham Twp., and Washington Twp.) by as much as 7%. And yet, knowing this and knowing that teachers have already left Mendham Borough to pursue opportunities in neighboring districts, our Board of Education continues to delay and stall the efforts toward a resolution.

On June 14th, the MBEA and the Board will move toward the next step of the negotiations process where the state-appointed mediator will conduct a hearing; again, adding months and legal fees to the process when all the Board of Education needed to do was return to the table, continue the dialogue, and demonstrate a modicum of respect for their staff. As a consequence, the educators of Mendham Borough could possibly start a second year without a contract in the fall. In preparation for the return to school in August, we have assembled an action team who will determine the next course of organizing. We will not allow the Board to continue dragging their feet, derelict of their duty, like they have since last September.

As the Board continues to dismay and disrespect its teachers, the teachers continue to work in full support of our students and community. As the Board continues to stall and delay, the teachers seek a resolution to this process, a resolution which recognizes the work, effort, and sacrifices that our teachers make for the children of this community each and every day. As our teachers make less and less, the Board wants more and more; yet, they are unwilling to live up to their end of the bargain. We appreciate and value the students, parents and community of Mendham Borough; we wish the Board would reciprocate with respect for us.

The Negotiations Team for the Mendham Borough Education Association

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