Union calls off strike
Parties agree to tentative deal SaturdayMicaiah Wise Bilger
POSTED: June 2, 2008
MIFFLINTOWN — Teachers called off a strike scheduled to begin today after representatives of the Juniata County School District and the Juniata County Education Association reached a tentative contract agreement Saturday.
Union members will vote on the tentative agreement on Tuesday, said JCEA President Wayne Chrismer. The school board then will vote during a public meeting set for 7 p.m. Friday at Fermanagh-Mifflintown Elementary School in Mifflintown.
Due to a media blackout suggested earlier this year by state mediator William Buckley and mutually agreed upon by the union and the school district, both parties said they could not talk about any details of the tentative agreement.
Because the strike was called off, school is in session today, Superintendent Kenneth Albaugh said. Graduation and extracurricular activities also will not be postponed, he said.
School Board President Gary Zeiders said both parties worked hard to come to an agreement. Neither party wanted a strike, he said.
“Not all of us are happy; not all of them are happy” with the tentative agreement, Zeiders said after the three-and-a-half-hour meeting Saturday.
“But it’s a start. I’m proud of both sides,” Zeiders added.
Chrismer said he had no further comments.
Union teachers initially called for a strike after rejecting an offer from the school district for a 3.99 percent salary increase each year for a period of three years and a health insurance co-pay of $22 for the first year, $24 for the second year and $47 for the third year, according to information provided Wednesday by two school board members.
On Friday, Chrismer said 143 union members voted to reject the school district’s offer, 17 voted to accept it and 33 members were unable to attend.
The parties have been negotiating a new contract for more than a year. Salary and health care issues are among the issues still being negotiated. The previous contract expired on June 30, 2007, and the union previously agreed to work under the current contract until both parties agreed to a new one.
