Methacton Teachers Plan To Strike Monday

EAGLEVILLE, PA — Teachers in the Methacton School District have announced that they will strike, beginning next week, as contract issues remain unresolved.

Teachers, represented by the Methacton Education Association, allege that salaries in the district are not comparable to elsewhere in Montgomery County.

The district said that any official notice on school closures would be given by 8 p.m. on Sunday, at the latest. The maximum duration of any strike in Pennsylvania, as determined by the Department of Education, is 15 school days.

Negotiations have been ongoing since January of this year.

"A teacher with a Master's degree makes over $8,000 less than the Montgomery County average, ranking (Methacton) 20th out of 22 districts in the county," said Diana Kernop, President of the Methacton Education Association.

The Association argues that this is unfair, in view of Methacton's consistently high rankings on statewide and national lists.

"Methacton School District is an exemplary student-focused and community-centered environment that prepares learners to meet the demands of our evolving world," the district said in a statement. "Our commitment to delivering on this educational mission must be balanced carefully against our fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers and our contractual and mandated obligations"

On Sept. 7, the district filed a request for "fact-finding" with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Fact-finding is the step taken when negotiations come to an impasse, and a third-party is invited in to analyze the positions of both sides and make recommendations for how to move forward.

Just more than a week later, Association declared their intention to strike.

In addition to negotiating with the Education Association, the school district is also negotiating with the Methacton Educational Support Professional Association (MESPA), the union representing aides and secretaries; and the Teamsters, the union representing maintenance, grounds, and custodial staff.

Families and students will be notified of closures via SchoolMessenger by phone and email. They can also check the district website, social media pages, or call the district newsline to check on opening or closing status at 610-831-5331.

Image via Methacton School District