Members of the Fall River Educators Association (FREA) and the Fall River School Committee met last week to discuss a new three-year contract. However, no agreement was reached, and both sides have staked their cases on social media.
City teachers have been working without a new contract since the beginning of the school year.
The union seeks compensation parity with like-sized communities within the region with pay hikes based on seniority. The union presented a new proposal to the school committee, reducing raises for educators with less experience to seven (7) percent in the first year and five (5) percent for years two and three. FREA President Keith Michon says the union has also made concessions on wages for teachers with more experience.
The school committee’s latest proposal is for a seven (7) percent and eight (8) percent increase based on experience in year one and five (5) percent for all pay levels for years two and three.
Mayor Paul Coogan feels the pace of the negotiations is not unusual.
Among the terms that have been agreed upon is parental leave, which Mr. Michon says is transformational and one of the better proposals in the region.
At the last meeting, the school committee did put back on the table a proposal on the structure of teachers’ lesson plans which the FREA is opposed to.
Over the last two bargaining sessions, the FREA and the school committee have used social media to inform the community about their proposals and areas of disagreement. Mr. Michon and Mayor Coogan say when a matter like this is out in public, misinterpretations are made.
The school committee has recommended that the two sides mediate to resolve differences, a proposal the FREA has rejected. The union is proposing that the mayor, and another member of the school committee, play an active role in bargaining moving forward. The mayor doesn’t think that’s necessary.
The union has been conducting rallies every Tuesday before the start of school as a show of support. Mr. Michon says if negotiations do not improve additional membership job actions may occur at the beginning of the school year.
