Letter: Working Toward Compromise

Contract negotiations between the Wissahickon Education Alliance (WEA) and the Wissahickon School District (WSD) have been ongoing since January 2012.  A compromise report was issued by a neutral hearing officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to settle the expired Support Staff Contract. The compromise was issued pursuant to collective bargaining law.  Although there are no clear winners in a compromise, the employees, in a show of goodwill, voted to accept this report.  However, the Board of Directors of the Wissahickon School District has refused to accept this compromise, thus creating the unnecessary unrest the District now faces with its labor force.

Please join us in asking your School Board members to revote, in favor of the Commonwealth’s neutral compromise report, at the October 22^nd public School Board meeting.  No tax increase is necessary to settle the expired contract.  Please log onto the WEA website to view the full report issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the full community update.  www.wissahickonea.psealocals.org/. Contact information for the WSD Board of Directors can be located at www.wsdweb.org.

The Support Staff Professionals are the Instructional and Child Specific Assistants in Special Education, they are the Custodians, Secretaries, Clerks, Library Assistants, Grounds Crew, Maintenance Crew, and Technology Specialists. They are the Bus Assistants, Bus Drivers, and Licensed Professional Nurses. They are taxpayers, parents and active members of this community, supporting students at WSD. They are your neighbors.

Thank You,

Wissahickon Education Alliance Co-Presidents

Ann Marie McDowell

Joann Groark