Mar 2, 2016 3 min read

Representatives of Peters Township School District and Peters Township Federation of Teachers Local 3421 are meeting today and Friday with an arbitrator in an effort to come to a contract agreement and avoid a second work stoppage this school year by district teachers.

The district’s 285 teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, when the previous five-year pact expired. The teachers walked off their jobs Oct. 28 and remained out until Nov. 27.

The arbitration sessions, which are taking place in the district administration building at 631 E. McMurray Road, will determine if the two sides can avert another strike. Last fall’s walkout pushed the last day of school in the district to June 23. By law, students must receive 180 days of instruction by June 30.

The central issues between the two sides are salaries and health-care costs. The district is offering annual raises of $500 for teachers on salary steps one to 16 and $200 a year for teachers on Step 17, the highest salary tier. The average teacher’s salary in Peters is in excess of $70,000, the district said.

The union, on the other hand, proposed raises of $1,900 each year through the 2019-20 school year. Teachers on the first step would receive a $1,200 annual raise, according to its proposal.

The public was able to view both proposals on the district’s website at www.ptsd.k12.pa.us and at the district office since Feb. 22. The comment period on the two proposals ended Wednesday. District spokeswoman Shelly Belcher said more than 400 responses were received through the Internet and through the mail. Comments made in response to the contract proposals are not available to the public, she said.

“We appreciate the time and efforts the residents have taken to add their perspective to the hearings,” Belcher said. “We anticipate that their comments will be very valuable in helping the panel reach a balanced and respectful decision for our community.”

Paul Homer, a staff representative of the union who will participate in the sessions, said it’s important to get the public’s input.

“We believe the normal citizenry will look at this objectively,” he said.

Arbitrator Timothy Tietze, a Chester County attorney, will rule on each issue separately during the closed-door meetings, choosing either the district’s or the teachers’ position. Expert witnesses will be called on an as-needed basis, Belcher said.

It is possible the contract issues could be decided in one day, meaning there would be no session Friday. But because the dispute is now in nonbinding arbitration, Tietze’s decisions could be rejected by either side.

If that happens, the parties could return to negotiations, or the teachers could go on strike again. The union must give the district 48 hours notice if it intends to strike again.