PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

P-T teachers continue strike for better benefits, salaries
by Emily Hoerner Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005 at 8:24 PM

News article concerning the Penn-Trafford School District teachers on strike.

Penn-Trafford School District teachers began their fourth day of striking this morning. After nearly eleven months of negotiating, Penn-Trafford Education Association (PTEA) President Shaun Rinier announced the strike at noon on Thursday, October 20.

Main points of contention between teachers and administration encompass talks about an increase in salary and better benefits. However, teachers were also not happy about the hiring of both a state-sponsored mediator and lawyer Bill Andrews to aid in negotiations. Rinier admitted the teachers would end the strike if the district would fire Andrews. At a press conference held in the administrative building this morning, Superintendent Deborah Kolonay insisted firing Andrews was an issue for the school board, not herself, to consider.

Andrews, who is also employed by four other school districts to help with negotiations, is in charge of setting meeting dates between the administration and teachers. Rinier insists firing Andrews would give the administration more time to actually negotiate with the teachers, thereby ending the strike more quickly.
P-T teachers have been striking for four days after failed attempts to negotiate better salaries and benefits. Though meetings were held several times throughout the year, no consensus was reached. At this point, Rinier said, the teachers have “no confidence,” in the administration.

The school board and the teacher’s union have submitted numerous proposals for health care. One such proposal, suggested by Rinier, would switch teacher health insurance to an alternative plan which would save the district close to $500,000. The teachers want the money saved to be used for salary increases. Kolonay rejected the offer last Thursday, saying the district had not received sufficient time to fully research its options.

The other major argument fueling the strike is salary. The administration’s website ranks P-T teachers as the eighth highest paid out of 16 schools in the region, though this ranking does not take into account costs for health benefits. When money for benefits is factored into teachers’ salaries, P-T teachers are the fifteenth highest paid, again out of 16 comparable school districts in the region.

Despite these rankings, the PTEA website credits P-T with having the highest paid elementary, middle school, assistant and secondary principals. The district ranks third in highest paid superintendents and directors/coordinators, according to the website.

Said Rinier, “Five or six teachers leave the district every year, but administrators are banging on the door…the teachers are not being outrageous, we just want to be competitive with other districts.”

The administration has called for a fact-finding program to halt the strike and assist negotiations. Teachers, however, have refused these fact-finding offers, saying they will only provide temporary relief for salary frustrations.

Teachers are allowed by law to strike for 26 days. Peggy DiNinno, the administrative assistant, said days missed will be made up through in-service days and during winter and spring breaks, with school possibly running into June. By law, students must complete 180 days of official instruction by or before June 30.