Methacton School District Requests Fact-Finding

Eager to end a negotiation impasse with the Methacton Education Association (MEA), the union which represents the district’s 403 teachers, the Methacton School Board Negotiating Team has today unilaterally filed a request for fact-finding with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) in Harrisburg.

Fact-finding is a legally provided impasse resolution option often pursued when negotiations are deadlocked. A neutral third party called a fact-finder is assigned by the PLRB to examine both of the proposals. The fact-finder has 40 days to study the proposals and issue a report containing recommendations for a contract. Once both sides have received the fact-finder’s report, they then have 10 days to notify the PLRB as to whether or not they accept the report in its entirety. If one or both parties reject the report, it is made public. No less than five days and no more than 10 days after the report is made public, each side must again inform the PLRB as to whether or not it accepts the report. Fact-finding has been used in the past to resolve the negotiating disputes between the MEA and the Methacton school board.

Assuming that the PLRB acts on the School Board’s request and appoints a fact-finder on September 19, this process will conclude November 19. A strike cannot occur during the fact-finding process.

The decision to file for fact-finding came after a September 4 negotiation session which lasted almost six hours. While both parties have unofficially resolved most major issues, including the development of salary schedules and work scheduling issues, significant differences still exist on the topic of healthcare coverage and premium-sharing, which the school board wants to align with the surrounding school district marketplace.

School board president Chris Boardman is hopeful that the board’s request for fact-finding will move this nine-month process forward in a positive way. “We have been negotiating since January, utilized the support of a state mediator and have tried everything in our power to reach an agreement that is fair and fiscally responsible. I am hoping that fact-finding will make this a reality. Also, I hope parents’ minds will be put at ease since a strike cannot occur during this process,” said Boardman.

For updates, visit www.methacton.org