In a telephone call this afternoon, Matthew Moench, President of the Bridgewater Township Council, provided an update on the status of negotiations with the teachers’ association, as well as of talks with the principals’ and supervisors’ groups.
Mr. Moench confirmed that on Monday, April 26th, the following parties had met in a preliminary closed-door meeting to establish an initial sounding of positions:
Present at Monday’s meeting were Mr. Moench on behalf of the Bridgewater Township Council; Denise Carra, Raritan Borough Council President, Mayor Jo-Ann Liptak, and John LaMaestra, Borough School Board Liaison. Bridgewater-Raritan Board President Jeffrey Brookner and School Business Administrator/Board Secretary Peter Starrs were participants.
Also there were Steve Beatty, President of the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association; as well as the two leaders of the Bridgewater-Raritan Principals’ Association and the Supervisors’ Association.
Negotiations, which are still in progress, center on the “possibility of further concessions and cost savings,” beyond those already built into the failed budget, according to Mr. Moench. This afternoon he was still actively “discussing options” with the bargaining units on behalf of those on the Bridgewater-Raritan negotiation team.
Mr. Moench added that he has requested the unions representing the teachers, principals and supervisors to get back to him by “Friday at the latest” with their proposals. He indicated that he “feels that they are doing their best,” and “believes that they seem to be acting in good faith.”
Without revealing its contents due to the sensitive nature of ongoing negotiations, he volunteered that he had a 45-minute discussion this afternoon with BREA President, Steve Beatty.
Because the voters of Bridgewater and Raritan rejected the school budget on April 20th, New Jersey law requires that the municipalities of the school district review the failed budget and forward their recommendations to Executive County Superintendent of Schools, Trudy Doyle.
As readers of this blog understand, there has been much pressure from Trenton for a total one-year wage freeze.
The current budget includes BREA concessions for health care (1.5% of salary) and tuition reimbursement in the amount of $1.4 million. These are offset in the current budget by reinstated budget cuts of the same amount.
The principals’ and supervisors’ associations also have agreed to pick up 1.5% towards their health care premiums. The Superintendent and all non-bargaining personnel are already on board with a one-year wage freeze.
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