Superintendent: Lengthy Negotiations a Sign of the Times
Kinnelon school district still in the process of negotiating with teachers.
The Kinnelon Education Association (KEA) and Kinnelon Public Schools Board of Education still have not reached an agreement on teachers' contracts, which the district began negotiating last year. But Superintendent Jim Opiekun said Kinnelon is not unusual in not having settled the contracts at this point when compared with other districts.
"There are many school districts, including Kinnelon, where negotiations are taking longer than usual. This is an unusual time when the factors of a 2 percent tax levy cap, ever increasing costs and drastically reduced state aid are severely limiting revenue," he said.
Nearby Montville and Bloomingdale school districts have also not yet settled teachers' contracts. Kinnelon has reached an agreement with the administrators' union and has planned in the 2012-13 school budget for reaching negotiation goals with the KEA.
KEA President Tom Shannon did not provide details on what is holding up the negotiations, but said he would share information once it is able to be made public.
Opiekun said the district has reached the "factfinding" stage of negotiations, and will be using a state-assigned mediator, whom the entities plan to meet with in June.
"The hope is to find a solution and what constitutes a fair settlement in these difficult times," he said.
According to the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the state mediator meets with the union and board and after hearing both sides' arguments prepares a report that is made public within 10 days of the entities each receiving it. Neither entity has to accept the factfinding report, but if a settlement is not reached at that point, "super conciliation" becomes the next phase.
"This is more intensive mediation, and state law authorizes the super conciliator to 'utilize means and mechanisms, including but not limited to requiring 24-hour per day negotiations, until a voluntary settlement is reached,'" according to the NJSBA website.
The NJSBA's website also notes that if a contract expires before a new contract is agreed upon, the terms of the expired contract remain in effect until a settlement is reached.
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Kinnelon Board of Education
109 Kiel Ave, Kinnelon, NJ -
Kinnelon Borough
130 Kinnelon Rd, Kinnelon, NJ -
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Pound the KEA
6:26 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
BOE hold hard on these money grubbing KEA members! They get way too many perks and benefits and unheard of health benefits with $100 deductibles and $5.00 co-pays, ridiculous perks like getting paid stipends for covering a class even when they have a free period and tuition reimbursement, longevity pay just for showing up to work too many sick days. They should get the same as the rest of us, earn your pay, contribute to your pension, health care and pay for your own advanced degrees! You go BOE!
Speak the Truth
8:59 am on Thursday, May 10, 2012
That's a sad statement to make and it is unfortunate that some members of our community hold this opinion. Economic times are difficult and the teachers are aware of this, they now pay more into their pensions and more for their healthcare then they did last year. This is called collective bargaining and is required by law. Don't assume things about a negation without knowledge of what both sides are asking for. Keep in mind before you make an unfounded comment that KPS is ranked highly in the nation and this directly drives what your house is worth and whether or not people desire to move to this town. Use your brain next time not anger...
Taxedout
12:13 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
LOL! So Mr Perdue It is ok to reward when a teacher does a good job but not fire one when they do not? They get a life time job in exchange they should start giving up some of these benefits the rest of us non government workers do not get. They contribute pennies compared to the cost of the lavish health plans and life time pensions and health benefits and the highest salaries in the area. Give me a break! Pound the KEA is right. They want more money and more money. You are right it is a negotiation which means give and take. The KEA has a reputation of take take take not give. It is about time the BOE stood their ground with them it is all part of negotiating. As a taxpayer all we do is pay more and more and we get less and less. It is time the gravy train comes to a stop. GO BOE!
Kinnelon Education Tops
10:29 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Mr. or Ms. Taxed Out - You apparently are misinformed. This year every teacher took a pay cut. The teachers currently pay 6.5% of their salary towards the pension. This increases to 8.5% next year. Their health care contribution doubles next year from what this year's contribution currently is. My daugther's teacher works 3 jobs (coaches, waitresses and teaches) to put food on the table for her family. My son's teacher works 2 jobs (coaches and teaches) to do the same. If teachers ride the gravy train, why do almost all of them have to work more than one job to make ends meet? What planet are you from? Let's face it, the KEA has limited funding to work with. Christie's 2% cap guarantees that. You must not have been educated in Kinnelon my friend! GO KINNELON EDUCATORS!
Get Me a Kleenex
6:44 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
BIG DEAL! I pay 100% of my benefits like most employees, or at least 50% of the cost. If I only worked part of the year, I'd work 2 jobs too. As a matter of fact, a lot of my friends DO work 2 jobs! I coach too, but volunteer-that means, I don't get a stipend from the tax payers. AND, many teachers I KNOW, tutor and only take cash, which is unreported income. They live a lot better than I do; vacation homes, BMW's, sending their kids to Ivy league schools. Let's all cry about the 2% cap. The only way it backfired is a big chunk of the budget goes to teacher's salaries and benefits-what's let over "for the kids". Doesn't the KEA mean their kids? not OUR kids? How many teachers actually live in Kinnelon? That's why teachers want to come to Kinnelon. Then they get tenure and sit on their a@@. Looking forward to the movie season, I'll send my kid to school with popcorn.
Support Kinnelon
10:54 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Get Me a Kleenex Response - Name me two teachers who have vacation homes and BMW's my friend... I cannot think of one. Apparently, you don't know the teachers in Kinnelon as there are literally dozens who live in Kinnelon contrary to your comments. Why do you think they live in Kinnelon? They do it for 2 reasons: The educational reputation of the district and the people who in the community. Thank heavens most people in the community are not like you and don't share your negative opinions of teachers and education. I for one appreciate all the teachers do for my children. My children have learned how to read, learned how to think, and learned how to care quite honestly because of the Kinnelon teachers! If you are so unhappy in Kinnelon, good riddens. You should move far far away! Go back to hiding under the rock you came from!
Get Me A Kleenex
8:53 am on Saturday, May 12, 2012
LOL! All you need to do is take a ride through the teacher's parking lots and observe the the cars they drive. I wouldn't state what most Kinnelonians "believe", most are apathetic at best. I don't say that I don't appreciate what SOME teachers do/did for my children, but I think it's time they stop feeding at the trough. BTW, I taught my children to read, think, and "care". I know they were taught to think freely and question-not swallow the BS that is fed them. Your closing argument, "go hide under a rock", shows the caring that's really behind the fascade.