Mayor to join teacher contract talks

By John Howell
Posted 12/15/16

Following a hiatus during which Mayor Scott Avedisian worked to bring the sides back to the bargaining table, the Warwick School Committee and the Warwick Teachers Union have agreed to resume mediation talks on Jan. 5. It's not like the

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Mayor to join teacher contract talks

Posted

Following a hiatus during which Mayor Scott Avedisian worked to bring the sides back to the bargaining table, the Warwick School Committee and the Warwick Teachers Union have agreed to resume mediation talks on Jan. 5.

It’s not like the parties haven’t been talking. Arbitration, which now is approaching the one-year anniversary, has continued with the most recent session held Tuesday afternoon. When the sessions, where each side brings forward the issues it seeks to resolve, started, Superintendent Philip Thornton, looking at state law, imagined the process would come to a conclusion in a matter of weeks. Now, he’s hopeful it will come to a close soon after the first of the new year.

But it’s talks over the table that will result in a contract, not arbitration, contends WTU President Darlene Netcoh. That was the intent of mediation, but observing no progress was being made, School Committee Chair Bethany Furtado terminated the sessions in early October. The mediator, attorney Vincent Ragosta, agreed with Furtado’s assessment. He offered to resume the process when the parties were ready.

Prior to the election, Mayor Avedisian called for the resumption of mediation, saying he would participate in the talks. The offer was embraced by the School Committee, but the WTU was noncommittal.

On Monday, Netcoh said the union “does not object” to the mayor’s participation. Avedisian said he would attend at least some of the mediation talks on Jan. 5 as he plans to also attend the inauguration of fellow Republican Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, taking place at the same time. Avedisian has said he hopes he can assist in resolving some of the “sticking points” to a contract.

In an email to the parties in October, Ragosta said the two sides are so set in “pursuing opposing certain core proposals” that the parties would be best off in interest arbitration. Further, he wrote, “meaningful compromise is not probable given these postures.”

Ragosta listed class weighting, stainines and co-op classes that were part of the contract expiring in August 2015 but eliminated from the committee’s offer made on Sept. 27 that would have given teachers 3 percent raises for each year of a three-year contract. That offer would have given 10th-step teachers, who make up about 80 percent of the city’s 900 teachers, almost $80,000 in the current year.

But, wrote Ragosta, “these proposals, which were part of the WSC’s packaged proposal of September 27, were rejected in toto by the WTU, explaining that these issues are ‘near and dear’ to the WTU, and for which they will ‘continue to fight.’”

The union countered with an offer keeping class weighting, stainines and co-op classes as well as calling for an increase in wages above what the committee offered.

Since the breakoff in mediation, Netcoh has been critical of committee efforts, which have borne some results, to legally grant it the power to lay off teachers as part of school consolidation as well as eliminate class weighing. Both issues remain before the courts.

Netcoh maintains that the bargaining table, not the courts, is where the sides will reach a contract and legal action is a waste of time and money.

“It’s all good news,” Netchoh said when asked what she thought of the resumption of mediation.

Ragosta welcomed Avedisian’s presence.

“Hopefully, he can assist me in facilitating a mediated agreement of this very long standing impasse” he said.

Comments

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  • Justanidiot

    It is about time that mayer corrente stops posting here and gets down to business.

    Friday, December 16, 2016 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Justanidiot,

    Why do you not want my post? Throughout my campaign, I committed to bring the 2 sides together as Mayor. I believe that my repeated comments of that time encouraged Avedisian to do today, what I believe he should have done long ago. In either event, he IS STEPPING UP now and I commend him, the School Committee, and the Warwick Teachers Union for the effort.

    I believe that the current level of progress is a result of the continuous pressure from people like you and me. We have been constructively critical, not just critical. Now it's up to them to "gets down to business".

    Merry Christmas to you Justanidiot, and to your family.

    Rick Corrente

    Friday, December 16, 2016 Report this

  • BeaconCommenter

    What are you two guys getting each other for Christmas??

    Friday, December 16, 2016 Report this