West Orange Superintendent Compares Union Talks to Sandy Hook Shooting

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Those who choose to wield the awesome power of metaphors should choose their words carefully. West Orange Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Rutzky recently stirred up some serious controversy by comparing the district's ongoing, increasingly bitter contract negotiations with the local teachers union to the tragic Sandy Hook shooting in Newton, Connecticut, which claimed the lives of 20 children and six staff members in 2012.

Rutzky reportedly sent his email to the district’s faculty on Dec. 14 — the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting — which is reprinted below courtesy of GetInvolvedWestOrange.com.

“While we are all dealing with daily challenges, whether it be the contract or personal issues with family or friends, let us not forget the horrific act that happened four years ago today at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Sometimes frustrations cause us to believe things are really bad until something like Sandy Hook happens and puts everything into perspective. I’m sure you would agree that everyone working at Sandy Hook Elementary School four years ago clearly keeps things in perspective. With that, I want to thank you and ask that you think about what is really important. We will get through the struggles of the contract. Hang in there and keep plugging! I promise you that is happening at Sandy Hook Elementary School today.”

Rutzky’s email created a firestorm of letters, calls and emails from parents and teachers who blasted the comparison as insensitive and inappropriate.

In response, the superintendent issued the following email:

“I have learned that the email I sent out about Sandy Hook was interpreted by some as insensitive and disrespectful. Please know that was not my intention and I sincerely apologize for the misunderstood message. I was simply trying to say that we need to keep things in perspective in light of the horrific act at Sandy Hook. Obviously, I did a poor job writing what I wanted to express.”

Rutzky continued:

“Further, I've been having conversations at the schools with small and large groups of teachers. Some teachers expressed their frustrations and feel that their work is not appreciated. I apologize to those teachers and any other person who feels that way. Please know that I absolutely appreciate your hard work and how you take care of our students every day. I know sometimes it may not feel that I recognize your efforts, but I do. Taking care of our students and helping you so you can take care of our students is my priority. Again, I apologize for any misperception associated with the email. That was not my intention.”

• See related article: This N.J. Superintendent’s Message Of Peace Is Just What We Need

'AN ALL-TIME LOW IN MORALE'

West Orange Education Association (WOEA) union leaders — who represent the district’s teachers, paraprofessionals, administrative assistants, computer technicians and security officers — told Patch earlier this month that it’s been about a year and a half since its last contract with the West Orange Board of Education expired.

Alleging that teachers and staff in the district have been steadily taking home less overall pay due to rising healthcare and pension costs, WOEA leaders called the situation “unsustainable.”

“As dedicated professional educators, we would prefer to stay out of the public light, and simply remain in the classrooms working with our students,” WOEA members stated in a joint news release. “Unfortunately, the Board of Education’s failure to offer us a fair contract has forced us to reach out to you to explain our concerns and ask for your support.”

The WOEA first went public with what its leaders termed an “all-time low in morale” in September when teachers announced that they would be boycotting the district’s annual Back to School Nights, a voluntary event under their previous work agreement.

“As public employees, we do not have many forceful ways to raise awareness of the situations and to bring matters to something of a head,” union representatives stated at the time. “We cannot strike and cannot engage in serious job actions without either disrupting the educational process — which we will never do — or putting jobs at risk. We certainly will not be discussing this struggle with your students, as that would place them unfairly in an adult problem… What we can do is not volunteer.”

• See related article: West Orange Teachers Boycott Back To School Night

Since then, WOEA members have kept the pressure on with a series of public protests and rallies, including multiple appearances at Board of Education meetings.

Board of Education members have countered that many of the union’s charges are misleading.

“The West Orange Board of Education has been engaged in negotiations with the West Orange Education Association for a successor collective negotiations agreement since May 7, 2015," board members stated in September. "The parties have reached tentative agreements on several issues. Unfortunately, the association cancelled six sessions on July 30, 2015, Nov. 11, 2015, Nov. 24, 2015, Jan. 28, 2016, Feb. 1, 2016, and June 1, 2016. Further, the association also informed the board that they were not available for the month of August 2015 due to their negotiator's vacation schedule. While the association claims that the board refused to meet this summer, dates were provided by the mediator to both parties which were ultimately rejected due to conflicts in scheduling by both parties."

Board members continued:

"While the board was interested in continuing face-to-face negotiations, the association declared impasse on May 26, 2016. Therefore, a mediator was appointed by the Public Employment Relations Commission, with whom we met on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and presented the most recent contract proposal to the association.”

At that meeting, BOE members presented an offer that included a salary increase “higher than the current settlement rate average of 2.41 percent in Essex County.”

The WOEA formally repudiated the board’s offer on Sept. 14.

“[The board] discusses a salary increase offer that is [allegedly] higher than a supposed settlement rate average,” union members stated, criticizing the offer.

“They fail entirely to note that most recent settlements have been significantly higher than the quoted rate, and significantly higher than what was offered… They refer without detail to a health benefits proposal, but fail to state that it would represent lower coverage and the elimination of an important health-related benefit that would cost many individual members thousands of dollars… They fail entirely to report that the WOEA has proposed a healthcare solution that would result in coverage remaining the same, but where the structure could be altered so that the premiums would significantly diminish, saving both the BOE and the staff real money.”

• See related article: West Orange Teacher, BOE Contract Battle Continues

NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

A follow-up mediation session was slated for earlier this month, but WOEA representatives were told the session was postponed to an as yet unscheduled date due to a scheduling conflict with the mediator, union member Tony Edelstein told Patch.

WOEA leaders released additional details about ongoing contract negotiations:

“Over the last two years, the law has not required these massive deductions from our salaries, but the Board of Education has to date refused to make an offer that addresses this unsustainable state of affairs. Instead, the board has been making contract offers that would only continue this pattern of enormous deductions from our paychecks. No self-respecting group of professionals would agree to this, and that is why we have strenuously opposed the board’s offers to date.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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