PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

P-T teachers continue strike for better salaries, benefits
by Emily Hoerner Friday, Oct. 28, 2005 at 4:22 PM

News piece about the teachers of Penn-Trafford School District on strike.

Penn-Trafford School District teachers began their fourth day of striking this morning. After nearly eleven months of negotiating, the 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. Both sides have facilitated the use of legal experts in their bargaining: Bill Andrews was hired by the district to aid in negotiations; Gilbert Gaul is the legal advisor to the teachers’ union. The district has also enlisted the help of Melanie Archangelo, a mediator paid for by the state, to referee meetings and make sure both parties remain civil during negotiations.

Today the administration, led by Superintendent Deborah Kolonay, held a press conference to serve as a question and answer period for concerned parents and taxpayers. For over an hour, Kolonay, administrative assistant Peggy DiNinno and Kolonay’s assistant Harry Smith fielded questions and provided information to taxpayers. Many who spoke were concerned about the length of the strike, and Kolonay assured the audience all appropriate measures were being taken to end the strike swiftly and renegotiate the teachers’ six year contract fairly.

Other topics discussed throughout the press conference included a plan for alternative health benefits submitted by Rinier, the possibility of fact-finding to end the strike more quickly and appease both parties and the usefulness of Andrews, Archangelo and Gaul in negotiations.
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. The use of a mediator was requested by the administration in hopes negotiations would proceed more smoothly with outside help.

The school board and the teachers’ union have submitted numerous proposals for health care, a major topic of debate during negotiations. One such proposal, suggested by Rinier, would switch teacher health insurance to an alternative plan, Health America, and would save the district close to $500,000, money the union would like to be used for salary increases. Kolonay rejected the offer last Thursday, saying the three days the district was given to research the healthcare option was not a sufficient amount of time.

The other major argument fueling the strike is salary. The administration’s website ranks P-T teachers as the eighth highest paid amongst 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. Only Derry Area School District has lower paid teachers.

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.

As discussed during today’s press conference, 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. Both parties must agree to a program of fact-finding before it may be put into use.

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. Under Pennsylvania state law, students must complete 180 days of official instruction by or before June 30.

For additional information concerning the strike, citizens may go to pteducators.org, the teachers’ union website, or penntrafford.org, the administration’s website. Pteducators.org also has an open forum in which anyone may post thoughts or concerns addressing the strike and related issues.