Swampscott school board chair blasts SEA

SWAMPSCOTT – The chairman of the School Committee lambasted the Swampscott Education Association for not taking a vote on the state’s Group Insurance Commission.School Committee Chairman David Whelan said he was speaking only for himself, not the entire committee when he criticized the SEA at length on Monday.”We’re in the second year at the eleventh hour and this (GIC) is going down in flames,” he said.In order for the town to sign onto the GIC for the next fiscal year it must have a signed Public Employee agreement in place by Oct. 1 and the state requires a 70 percent vote in favor for the town to adopt the GIC. It is impossible for the GIC to pass without the support of the teachers union, which carries approximately 58 weighted percent of the vote. The state gives retirees a 10 percent weighted vote and the other unions get a percentage of the vote based on membership. With the exception of the teachers union and retirees, each of the unions have less than 10 percent of the weighted vote, which is why the SEA is taking heat from members of the School Committee.Whelan said he believes the SEA needs to take a vote and let the community know where it stands.”The entire membership of the SEA needs to go on record one way or another. It is important for the community to know how they (SEA) feel,” Whelan said. “The SEA has time to get together in a room and take a vote of no confidence in the superintendent, why it can’t find time to get together and take a vote on something as important as this? Without the GIC we are talking about laying off teachers and making other cuts that would be devastating to the district.”SEA President Paul Maguire said the SEA has scheduled a vote on the GIC for Thursday.”We’re taking a vote on the town’s last offer (a 70/30 split phased in by the year 2014),” he said. “We wanted to wait and get a better offer or at least a response to our counteroffer because we don’t think this will pass. But they wanted a vote so we’ll take a vote.”School Committee member Paula Bonazzoli declined to comment on the controversy and Neil Bernstein said he does not have enough information regarding the latest negotiations to comment at this time.”I just hope we the town and unions can resolve this,” he said.Whelan said the fiscal picture for the district is bleak and, while the GIC is not a cure all, it would save approximately $800,000.”It is a big enough issue that to go another year and throw away this kind of savings is so irresponsible,” he said. “We (School Committee) are instructing the superintendent to plan for the worst case scenario. We are looking at the possibility of closing an elementary school, layoffs and class size issues. I want the SEA to tell me they understand that and then explain how they can vote against the GIC.”Whelan said he would like the state to step in so it’s easier for communities to adopt the GIC, despite union objections.”The (GIC) premise is wonderful but I don’t know how folks at the state level can continue to allow horrible legislation to drive this issue,” he said. “At what point does the state leadership say this isn’t working on the local level and step in so it’s easier for communities to pass this? Quite frankly I think the state should mandate it. It should be put to a local referendum. I don’t know how the state can continue to turn its back on discounted savings at the local level.”