Contract Between Ridgewood Board Of Ed., Union Remains Unsettled

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Contract talks continue to drag on between the district and the teachers' union after the sides met for six hours Wednesday and failed to reach an agreement.

Board of Education members and the Ridgewood Education Association (REA) negotiating team met with Tim Huntley, the state-appointed super conciliator, the latest attempt to hash out an agreement.

The Board proposed salary increases over three years of 1.1, 2.8 and 2.8 percent.

Changing the health insurance plan from a NJ Direct 10 to a NJ Direct 15, meaning union members' co-pays would increase. The Direct 15 plan would save the district more than $1.1 million over the next three years based on the current rates.

Payments for the district's highest paid teachers would be made every year, $500, $1,000, and $1,500, to offset a portion of their healthcare premiums.

These one-time annual payments would help prevent the highest paid teachers from contributing more than the 35 percent cost of their healthcare premiums they already do.

"The current proposal reflects our sincere attempt to compromise and address the contract requests from the Ridgewood Education Association," the Board of Education said in a statement Friday.

The Board structured its offer to keep salaries above the county average. The district has the highest salaries in the county for new teachers.

The union's contract expired in June 2015. Negotiations began in February 2015. Union members will continue to receive their 2014-15 school year salaries and benefits until a settlement is reached.

Huntley recommended annual salary increases of 2.2, 2.8, and 2.8 percent for the next three years and not changing insurance plans or how much employees contribute to their healthcare insurance premiums.

The highest paid teachers and secretaries would receive additional payments.

Huntley's recommendations would cost the district $4.4 million over the state-mandated 2 percent budget increase cap during the three-year contract, including $2.6 million in program, staff, and support support cuts. These include possibly firing at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Making such cuts would, "severely diminish the quality of the instructional and extra-curricular programs for our students," the Board stated.

The district claims the union did not come to the negotiating table Wednesday with a contract proposal.

The union claims the Board is "using scare tactics and the threat of cutting programs as an attempt to scapegoat" its members.

"This is no time for divisiveness; instead it is time for compromise," the union said in a statement. "But as long as the Board remains set in their discredited 'cost neutral' position, until it is willing to truly negotiate, this impasse will not end."

The district also said that breakage — the cost difference between the salaries of retiring and new staff members — is not "available revenue" to fund the Huntley's recommendations.

According to the REA, the Board does not care about students, the district, or the staff, an accusation officials emphatically refuted.

"In fact, the Board's concern for our students and their educational well being is the reason why we did not originally accept the fact-finder's recommendation and continue to maintain our position."

The two sides are scheduled to meet next on Sept. 6.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Sign up for Patch N.J. email newsletters here.

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