July 1, 2015

Teachers, District Sign Memo of Agreement

After well over a year of negotiations, the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) and the teachers’s union, Princeton Regional Education Association (PREA) issued a statement Thursday announcing a “Memorandum of Agreement for a successor contract.”

Today, July 1, marks the end of a year in which teachers in Princeton Public Schools have worked under the terms of an expired 2011-2014 contract. In spite of lengthy negotiations that began as early as fall 2013, their union and the Board failed to come up with a new contract.

Talks dragged on as both sides became entrenched over their respective positions on salaries and health benefits. A major stumbling block was conflicting interpretations of the State of New Jersey’s Chapter 78.

Even sessions with a state-appointed mediator failed to move the parties closer.

It looked as though the next step would be non-binding arbitration for which an independent “fact finder” would be called in at a cost of between $1,600 and $2,500 per day, to be split between the BOE and the PREA.

Spurred by this, both sides moved to meet face-to-face in order to thrash out a deal before the close of the school year. Hopes rose after two marathon negotiating sessions on June 2 and June 10, the first lasting 18 hours and the second, 12 hours. After the second meeting, BOE President Andrea Spalla said that both parties were working to “close the remaining differences between the two sides.”

The above-mentioned statement from Ms. Spalla together with PREA President Joanne Ryan, reads: “We are pleased to inform the Princeton community that the negotiating teams of the PREA and the Board of Education for the Princeton Public Schools have signed a Memorandum of Agreement for a successor contract. Further details of the new contract will be published
once the PREA membership
and the Board of Education have voted to approve the new agreement. We are eager to move forward together to provide the very best educational experiences for our community’s children. Both the PREA and the Board of Education are grateful for the patience and support of the entire Princeton community and we look forward to continuing to serve you.”

In May, after eight weeks of negotiations, the District reached an agreement with the Princeton Regional Educational Support Staff Association (PRESSA), representing support staff.

Also in May, after six weeks of negotiations, an agreement was reached with the Princeton Administrators’ Association (PAA), representing principals, assistant principals and supervisors, but not central office administrators.

The new contract with administrators gave them annual increases for the next three years of approximately 2.39 percent, 2.38 percent, and 2.37 percent. Administrators agreed that contributions to their healthcare premiums would remain at the highest “Tier 4” levels set forth in Chapter 78. The union agreed to several cost-saving measures in their healthcare benefits package, including health insurance deductibles of $100 per staff person and $200 per family for  in network healthcare providers for the most popular plan and the option of a health savings account plan with a $2,000 deductible. The district would contribute 60 percent of the deductible, or $1,200, for that option.

The new contract with PRESSA gave an annual base salary increase of 2.5 percent for each of the next three years. The support staff union agreed that employees’ contributions to their healthcare premiums would remain at the highest “Tier 4” levels set forth in the state law known as Chapter 78. The union agreed to several cost-saving measures in their healthcare benefits package, including the elimination of the most expensive health insurance plan, health insurance deductibles of $100 per staff person and $200 per family for in network healthcare providers for the most popular plan, and prescription cost containment measures. Employees can also choose a health savings account plan with a $2,000 deductible. The district would contribute 60 percent of the deductible, or $1,200, for that option.

The most recent deal offered to teachers by District included an annual increase in base salary of 2.44 percent (retroactive to July 1, 2014).

As yet, no details of the Memorandum of Agreement or of a new contract have been forthcoming. The Board was due to meet in closed session and then in public session Tuesday night after Town Topics press time.