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Sag Harbor Board Of Ed Rejects Fact-Finder's Findings; Teachers Protest

Both Parties Agree To Return To The Table

By Aaron Boyd | 5 Comments

The Teachers' Association of Sag Harbor (TASH) and supporters gathered on Long Wharf on Monday before marching through downtown Sag Harbor to Pierson Middle-High School. Photos by Aaron Boyd

Sag Harbor - After 17 months of negotiations, the Sag Harbor School District still has yet to come to an agreement on a new contract with their teachers. A resolution seemed near, as the fact-finder had finally issued his determination, however the Board of Education (BOE) rejected his findings, triggering a mass protest from the teachers' union in downtown Sag Harbor.

TASH President Eileen Kochanasz (left) and labor relations specialist Rich D'Esposito (right) addressing the crowd on Monday.

Members of the Teachers' Association of Sag Harbor (TASH) were joined by teachers' unions from across Eastern Long Island, from Eastport to Mattituck to Shelter Island and Suffolk BOCES. "The goal is to get the Board [of Education] back to the table," TASH President Eileen Kochanasz explained over the din of supporters and honking cars passing by Long Wharf. Negotiations had stalled according to Kochanasz, "We have not been face-to-face with the board for 10 months."

The negotiation process has been an unusual one according to Rich D'Esposito, a labor relations specialist from New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). "The length, the bitterness, the intransigence," he cited, "The mediation was unsuccessful and it's my opinion that the district very much wanted to get to fact finding," the second stage of the negotiation process after an impasse was reached last spring, "Then the fact-finder produces a report and they expected that the report would support what they wanted. The report came out and the only thing it validated was the teachers' side."

Some 200 teachers and supporters came out for the rally on Long Wharf, succeeded by a march down Main Street to Pierson Middle-High School and a BOE meeting already in session. The BOE agreed to restart negotiations, however members of the board have stressed that their willingness to rejoin the teachers at the table was not the result of the protest.

The board has held three executive sessions in the last month based around the negotiations according to BOE President Walter Wilcoxen. "In order for us to go back to negotiating we had to delve into the issues and look in depth into the consequences of each side's requests," Wilcoxen said during a phone interview. In a letter addressed to the school district's residents dated October 14, the BOE stated that, "It is our plan to schedule negotiations sessions in the near future."

Teacher unions from across eastern Suffolk came to support their fellow professionals in Sag Harbor.

"We're attempting to restart negotiations," Superintendent Dr. John Gratto said, "I sat down with our attorney and picked out three dates," which were then sent along to D'Esposito for consideration. Gratto specifically chose dates where he and the board would be available "from morning to night" and the teachers representing the union would be relieved of their teaching responsibilities for those days.

According to Sag Harbor Superintendent Dr. John Gratto, the negotiations are back to "ground zero."

The letter states, "The Board of Education rejected the fact-finder's report believing that those salary increases were too high in these economic times." The fact-finder's non-binding decision recommended a three percent increase for 2008, a 3.4 percent increase in 2009 and a 3.9 percent in 2010 and 2011, compared to the 2.5 percent annual increase last offered by the BOE in December. The board rejected the finder's recommendations outright. "I think it was very poorly done," Gratto asserted, "I think he has a mindset that is not indicative of a community," he added in reference to the fact-finder's prior work with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL). "He asked some questions that showed he didn't understand the situation," Gratto said, such as what a 'step increase' was, a term used to denote incremental raises in contracts.

Wilcoxen also stated that the report "wasn't given the time it needs," a sentiment echoed by Gratto.

"In essence, when the message didn't comport with their point of view they attacked the messenger," D'Esposito said, "It's been about an agenda and the negotiations have been handcuffed by that throughout."

It is difficult to set a timetable for when the negotiation process will be complete, though both parties have said they hope to move along swiftly. "Really, we're back to ground zero," Gratto admitted, "We need to explore various options. Those that have been proposed are not agreeable to either side."

"I would be hopeful," Wilcoxen stated, "If you take what the union representative has said on its value, they're ready and willing. It may not be a perfect document, but it should be fair," he continued, "If both parties can't walk away thinking the contract is fair, we'll be doing this again in four or five years, and nobody wants that."

Comments

Guest (Taxpayer) from Sag Harbor says:
Obviously INFORMED is one of the greedy teachers or family of a teacher. If that weren't the case INFORMED would have just as much sympathy for those struggling to make ends meet as he/she does for the teachers. You imply that I or other tax payers are ignorant because we don't want to hand over more of our hard earned money without question??? That is not the case at all. I have not had a bad experience with any of the teachers other than the fact that we have all fallen on hard times and the teachers feel they should be exempt from the bad economic times. Why aren't the teachers concerned that the families of the kids they are teaching are going through such hardship. What about the senior citizens who are using the food pantry of cutting back on their prescriptions because they are struggling. Obviously the teachers are not at all concerned about us, the taxpayers, but they want our support. Where is the consideration for the taxpayers who are already financially burdened beyond their ability? I noticed that INFORMED did not dispute the ridiculous salaries some of the teachers are making. $120,000.+ for a guidance counselor???? I think all of the spending needs to be curbed especially while the economy is at its worst. That does not include just the teachers. Why do you think our local and national governments are in such bad shape. No one is accountable to anyone here. I do understand that the job the teachers have is not an easy one, but they work 162 days a year. There needs to be concessions made for the economy. You say teachers need to govern their own. If we as tax payers allowed that we would all be on welfare.....except for the teachers, of course.

Guest (Sick & Tired) from Sag Harbor says:
I'd like these teachers to remember that while they are parading around in their t-shirts and asking for more money etc. are doing so infront of students that also have to go home and see a mom or dad who can't put food on the table for their family because they are out of work.

Guest (Informed) from Southampton says:
Where were all your negative comments when Superintendent Grotto got his big fat raise after one year??? No complaints about Police salaries either. Teachers are at the mercy of ignorant taxpayers who at sometime had a bad experience in school. These people don't have a clue of what it means or what it takes to be an educator!! Teachers need to govern their own. They do not need cabbage growers such as the likes of the Sag Harbor School board!!

Guest (Taxpayer) from Sag Harbor says:
To add to my previous comment, the teachers are looking to be compensated the same as the teachers from the Southampton and East Hampton School Districts. Sag Harbor has a much smaller tax base as compared to Southampton Town & East Hampton Town. Also some of the senior class are being penalized by some of the teachers because they, the kids, chose to let their opinion be known at the homecoming parade that they are sick of seeing the teachers wearing their gray T-shirts in the classroom....that they are distracted by them. Because of this some of the teachers have refused to write college recommendation letters. Yet the teachers are saying they need more money....it's for the benefit of the children. What do you think???

Guest (Taxpayer) from Sag Harbor says:
I think during these tough economic times when so many of us are out of work and are at risk of losing our homes, it is a little tough to take the whining of the teachers who feel they aren't getting enough. They are getting "more" than enough. The local teachers leading the teachers protest are making over $100,000. and want more because they are off the step chart for raises. All of the teachers are still getting raises (the % from the old contract), but want more on top of that. With the Star Rebate being taken away and the great possibility of our taxes being increased by 5% to help with the Southampton Town Budget Crisis, where are we as tax payers supposed to come up with "more". I think the teachers have to back off for a while until the economy comes back and give us, the tax payers, an opportunity to catch our breath Everyone including the teachers need to tighten their belts to get through this. They are making themselves look incredibly greedy.