The Bellwood-Antis school board and the district’s support staff are in the process of reviewing a contract proposal prepared by a fact-finder.
Board members and the district’s 50-employee support staff, which includes bus drivers, secretaries, custodians and cafeteria employees, represented by the Service Employees International Union, are required to approve or reject a proposal that was prepared by Bill Caldwell by the end of business hours October 10.
Dr. Rodney Kuhns, Superintendent of Schools, explained, “There are 50 employees affected by this. There won’t be anything released or discussed at next Tuesday’s, October 8, school board meeting. The earliest anything probably will be released will be by the Labor Board on October 10.”
If there is no agreement, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will make the recommendation public. The Labor Board releases that information.
Kuhns stated, “We will probably have to schedule a meeting in order to accept or reject the proposal if both parties do not accept it prior to that.”
Solicitor David Andrews explained, “The two sides would then have an additional five to 10 days to vote again.”
The employees’ contract expired this past July 1, but the union and administration agreed to an informal extension until September 30 – the day by which the fact-finder was required to submit the proposal. Presently, employees are working under terms of the old agreement.
The employees are unable and do not have a right to strike during the fact-finding period.
The school board will not vote on the proposal at its Tuesday school board meeting. The board will most likely call a special meeting on October 10.
