NORTH SMITHFIELD – The North Smithfield Teachers Association has filed charges of illegal activity against the School Committee with the Rhode Island Labor Relations Board, charging that board members have refused to act in good faith in negotiations.
A release from NSTA this week said the decision came “after months of no progress in mediation on their contract.”According to NSTA officials, the union reached an agreement with the committee more than a year ago, in December 2014, but just three months later, in March 2015, the committee rejected its own proposed settlement.
Current School Board President Merredythe Nadeau and a second newly elected member, Arthur Bassett, joined the committee in December of 2014.
In August of 2015, the union and committee began meeting in an attempt to resolve the issues, according to NSTA’s account.
The union’s current contract was initially set to expire on Aug. 31 of that year, but with no agreement in sight, the committee voted to extend it for another year
NSTA officials say no progress on an agreement had been made by October either, and the union filed for mediation, a process that utilizes a neutral third party to help reach consensus.
“Mediation has not led to consistent or meaningful participation from the School Committee members involved in the process,” a release from NSTA representatives stated..
This week the union submitted a request to have a new mediator assigned.
According to NEARI UniServ Director Patrick Crowley, who has been assisting the teachers, the request for a new mediator is not a common occurrence.
“Normally when the mediator enters the process, the parties begin to move closer together,” Crowley told The Breeze this week. “In this circumstance the parties are moving farther apart.”
The committee has seen a turnover of leadership throughout the attempted negotiations, with longtime members Robert Lafleur and Christine Bonas resigning their seats.
Crowley implied that the changes have been part of the problem, as new members join the bargaining table.
“There’s been repeated changing of who’s on their bargaining team, repeated changes of their proposals and an inability to be consistent in what they’re looking to negotiate in the agreement,” he said.
Crowley said that currently, the bargaining team includes Committee members Nadeau, Michael Clifford, James Lombardi and John Raymond. School Solicitor Benjamin Scungio serves as chief labor negotiator.
“The lack of consistency from the School Committee is almost as bad as its lack of respect for the teachers in North Smithfield,” Crowley said. “In a district that consistently ranks as high performing and enjoys a financial surplus, the committee’s inability to make realistic proposals should trouble every member of the North Smithfield community.”
NSTA President Amy Wright said that North Smithfield teachers are “extremely frustrated by the lack of ability on the part of the School Committee to make progress in negotiations.”
“Despite negotiating for well over a year, no progress has been made,’ Wright said. “The teachers of North Smithfield deserve better. We deserve respect at the negotiating table, and we deserve a fair and equitable contract.”
Asked what the sticking points were in negotiations, Crowley replied “everything.”
“The allegation is that they violated the state Labor Relations Act because they refused to bargain in good faith,” the NEARI director said.
The labor board is expected to issue a ruling as to whether or not the charges filed by NSTA have merit, according to Crowley, and could issue sanctions declaring the committee is acting illegally.
“They could require them to bargain in good faith, which is really all we’re asking for,” said Crowley.
Both Nadeau and Scungio said they were unable to offer comment on the dispute.
Source: SANDY SEOANE, Valley Breeze Staff Writer
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