In several documents obtained on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association (the BREA) informed its membership this week that it has broken off talks with the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education (the B-R BOE).
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| Thursday: NJ Assembly seats await final vote on pension reform. |
Mr. Joe Krenetsky, Negotiations Chair for the BREA, wrote to his constituency that “The BREA and the Board are at impasse, which means that we have ended the head-to-head process and are applying for a mediator to come in to help.”
Mr. Krenetsky indicated that his union had offered to “compromise” by trying “to meet the Board half-way, but that the Board has been unwilling to compromise in the least,” adding that, “In fact, the Board has increased their demands instead of working towards an agreement.”
He also expressed concern that “Health Care legislation being discussed at this time will complicate our negotiations process a lot . . . it’s all connected to our negotiations.” (Krenetsky was referring to the pension reform bills that have since passed the New Jersey Senate and Assembly.)
Governor Christie is expected to sign those proposals into law on Monday.
In an analogous communication to BREA membership one day before the New Jersey Assembly approved the pension reform bill, BREA President Mr. Steve Beatty expressed similar sentiments when he indicated that:
“It is clear that the BREA’s team is extremely frustrated with the lack of willingness on the board’s part to negotiate in good faith and the tremendous negative impact that this attitude will have on staff morale and ultimately the students.”
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| Demonstration, Trenton NJ, on Thursday, June 23rd. |
He continued that “It didn’t have to be this way, but that the board has decided that they want their ‘pound of flesh.’”
Mr. Beatty also advised his membership that “We plan on providing more specific information to you soon about the process and the proposals so far so that you may see for yourself what has been happening.”
He added “We believe that when the full truth is known, it will galvanize the entire membership into resolute action.”
Hoping to gain support from the overall Bridgewater and Raritan population as well, Mr. Beatty expressed his belief that “This unity and action will be of great assistance in rallying the community at large so that we may move the board into a place where they will see the benefit of coming to the table in good faith and settling with all of you fairly and without unnecessary delay.”
According to Beatty, a general membership meeting of the BREA will be scheduled for September.
My best guess is that the summer of 2011 is unlikely to bring any forward movement to this impasse, much less a resolution to a process which appears to be deadlocked.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Evan Lerner, President of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education, picked up my cell phone call. He indicated that at the next B-R BOE meeting scheduled for June 28th, 8:00 P.M. at the Wade Building, the Board will issue a statement concerning the status of labor negotiations with the BREA.
He said that it is a “Good News-Bad News” situation, but did not elaborate, explaining that he was at the High School for graduation ceremonies.
BREA President Steve Beatty, whom I also tried to contact on Tuesday for this post did not return my voice mail message.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your well-deserved weekend and remember: Take care of yourselves.
(Note: Photos in this post are from screen shots that I took from NJN News12 TV reports.)
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