SWAMPSCOTT — Both sides of what have been tension-filled teachers’ contract negotiations are claiming the other has exhibited a lack of professionalism in the latest bargaining session.
The latest dustup between the school department, which includes administrators and the School Committee, and the Swampscott Education Association (SEA), or teachers’ union, revolves around another failed negotiating session on Friday.
The reason for the abrupt session, which ended before negotiations resumed, differs based on which side is asked, with Superintendent Pamela Angelakis and the union putting out conflicting statements.
Angelakis said the School Committee bargaining team was looking forward to receiving a counter-proposal from the union, and then “working hard towards negotiating a new agreement that would be fair to the school district, the teachers and the citizens of Swampscott.” The last offer to the union two weeks ago included raises of 1 percent for the first year and 2 percent for the following two years, she said.
“Instead, the union without any notice to the School Committee informed the district’s bargaining team at the beginning of the session that the union would be increasing the size of their bargaining team by 30-40 teachers,” Angelakis said in a statement. “This was not only an unorthodox, if not unheard of tactic, but was done after previously rejecting the school district’s offer at the last bargaining session to hold a negotiation session that would be open to the public.”
The superintendent said negotiations were ended because the School Committee bargaining team has decided to file for mediation, which would enlist a neutral third party mediator for when talks resume. Angelakis said the mediator would be the most “productive” and “efficient” way to reach an agreement that was fair to both sides.
But in a post on its Facebook page, the SEA said teachers were left stunned and “sat in shock” after the School Committee, Angelakis and Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald abruptly walked out of the session, ending negotiations before the union could present its counter-proposal.
“The SEA was being represented by an expanded bargaining team, acting on a previous invitation from the School Committee’s team to have more teachers join,” reads a union statement. “Roughly 20 educators showed up for the meeting, and before the meeting could start, the School Committee accused the SEA of playing a stunt, and walked out of the room.”
The notification about the school department’s decision to seek mediation was not communicated to the union for another hour, the SEA said. The School Committee’s attorney informed union members of their intent to apply for a mediator, which needs to be signed off on by the Department of Labor Relations, according to the post.
“Their interactions were unprofessional,” said Rebecca Bucklin, the vice-president of the SEA and chair of the bargaining team, in a statement provided by the union. “I’ve been on three negotiation teams over my 20 years in Swampscott. I am saddened and distressed by the unwillingness of the town to talk.”
SEA President Nancy Hanlon said in a union-provided statement that it was “stunning” to see school officials’ reaction to the expanded bargaining team, adding that the decision to involve a third party mediator is typically reserved for when the two sides are at an impasse.
“We are clearly not at an impasse,” Hanlon said. “We were about to present a proposal which moved a little closer to the School Committee’s proposal, but they would not even let us present it.”
The SEA is asking for a 3 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA), noting in its post that the School Committee has increased its offer from a 0 percent raise to 1 percent, but fails to include the 2 percent increase for the following two years.
Angelakis has refuted the claim that a 0 percent raise was offered to teachers in a past statement, saying the union has turned down multiple contracts offered between April and October.
The cost to the town that a 3 percent raise would bring also differs based on which side is asked. School administration says the raise would amount to $3.1 million over three years, while the union cites that cost as closer to $2 million.
Friday’s session was the latest chapter in what’s been a controversy-filled negotiating process.
Last week, Hanlon, a speech and language pathologist at Stanley Elementary School, was handed a three-day suspension by Angelakis, which the union called “egregiously excessive.” and felt was not a coincidence considering the timing.
On Wednesday, the SEA protested the suspension during a rally at Swampscott High School.
In a past statement, Angelakis said it was unfortunate that the union was seeking to exploit the “serious matter” for negotiating leverage. She declined to give a reason for the suspension, but said it was not related to the contract negotiations.
It’s unclear when collective bargaining will resume.
Bella diGrazia contributed to this report.
