For nearly a year, Medford School District teachers have been working without a contract, according to Gail Weisberg, president of the Medford Education Association (MEA) and chief contract negotiator.
“Our contract expired June 2011,” she said.
Negotiations for a new contract began before that, in January 2011. In November of last year, the board of education and the MEA came to an impasse, she said.
“We couldn’t come to a resolution any further,” she said. “This negotiation has been far more contentious than any in the past.”
The impasse has led to mediation, the first session of which occurred on May 2. Another meeting is scheduled for May 30, Weisberg said.
“MEA was ready and willing to meet long before the May 2 date,” she said, but the board’s team was unavailable to meet until May, which stalled negotiations.
The difference this year compared to former years, she said, is the board of education has hired an attorney to negotiate with MEA rather than negotiating directly.
“They are paying taxpayer money on an attorney to negotiate with them,” she said.
This is the first time in probably more than 30 years that this has happened in Medford, she explained.
“It’s really sad.”
A request for comment regarding the attorney’s fees sent to Bryan McGair, assistant superintendent for finance and supportservices on Thursday, May 10 was not returned. An email sent to board president Michael Etter on Monday, May 7 requesting comment regarding the state of Medford schools wasn’t returned. Additionally, a visit by The Medford Sun to the Board of Education office on Friday, May 11 for comment did not get a response. Questions emailed to administrative assistant to the superintendent, Pat Dyer, were not returned.
As a longtime area resident, Weisberg retired last June, but agreed to stay in her position as MEA president for another year. She has a vested interest in settling with a fair contract, she said, as the quality of the schools attract people to Medford.
“I really would like to be able to maintain the outstanding schools,” she said. Schools are made up of the people who work and attend them, she said, and a partnership has to be maintained to keep schools running properly.
“From our perspective, we’ve always worked amicably with the board of education,” she said.
A contract has always been negotiated that was fair to taxpayers, students and members of the MEA, she said.
“From our perspective, nothing has changed,” she said.
The association went into the process with “good faith,” she said. “We expected the Board to do the same.”
But, she said, it appears the situation has apparently changed.
The issues on the table with the contract cannot be discussed publicly at this point, she said.
However, at the last board of education meeting on Monday, April 30, more than 100 MEA members were in attendance to illustrate their request for a contract.
“The members came out to support the negotiation team,” she said. “Our slogan is ‘United in Excellence,’” she said, and they are united as an association in their attempts to get a fair contract.
“We believe negotiations requires compromise on both sides,” she said, and Weisberg hopes that the board will go into the next session with the same mentality.
The school system is a wonderful place, she explained.
“We have outstanding teachers; our test scores are wonderful,” she said.
Students from Medford schools go on to the high school, then to excellent colleges, some of which are Ivy League, and perform well.
“That’s because they get a great foundation in the K-8 school district,” she said.
There are currently approximately 300 members within the association at this point. Last year, about 140 assistants were privatized and let go to save money, which decreased the number of members to its current standings, she said.
“It was a very passionate issue,” she said.
Teachers, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, and seven clerks are in the association, she said.
“From day one, we were ready and willing to negotiate a fair contract as we were in the past, and we don’t feel the Board of Education came to the table with the same expectation,” Weisberg said.
Learn more about the Medford Education Association at www.meaconnection.org.
