Teachers Disappointed by Lack of Progress

The following is a press release from the West Chester Area Education Association.

The West Chester Area Education Association (WCAEA) said today that a deal had not been reached with the West Chester Area School District regarding a new contract. At the latest negotiation session held Wednesday, Aug. 29 between members of the WCAEA negotiation team and the school district, the teachers’ union submitted a two-year proposal but it was rejected by the school district.

“We are disappointed that there has been no movement on the part of the school district during the negotiation process,” WCAEA President Debbie Fell said. “We made a number of adjustments to the contract regarding tuition reimbursement, healthcare and changes in salary increases and proposed a revised two-year deal which was rejected. The start of the school year is only a few days away, and we are still without a contract. We are eager to get this resolved so as not to disrupt the education of our children but we are concerned with the lack of movement on the district’s part.”

The contract, which impacts 943 part-time and full-time teachers, expired June 30. The next talks between the WCAEA and the school district are scheduled for September 12. WCAEA assures that all teachers will report to work as expected when school resumes on September 4.

“We will continue to negotiate in good faith and look forward to returning to the classroom on September 4,” Fell said. “We hope that we can work with the school district to reach an equitable resolution for all involved.” For more information visit www.wcaea.org.