School Board Update: Teachers’ Pay & Benefits

Evan Lerner at the first draft discussion of the
2012/2013 School Budget on
December 20, 2011. (Bergeron Image)

At this evening’s meeting of the Bridgewater-Raritan School Board, its President Evan Lerner released the following statement on the status of the contract mediation process currently under way between the School District and the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association:

“On December 8, 2011, the first mediation session was held between the Board and the Association.  Subsequent to that meeting, I contacted the B-REA suggesting that we agree to switch from our current private health insurance plan to a state-sponsored plan to reduce the number of items to be negotiated while achieving a savings.  The B-REA declined.  Mediation is ongoing.  The next scheduled mediation date between the Board and the Association is on February 2, 2012.  We look forward to continuing negotiations.

Direct negotiations between the two parties were halted at mid-year, when the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association declared an impasse and requested the appointment of a mediator.

(Click on the photo for an enhanced view.)