COAL TOWNSHIP -- The Shamokin Area School Board rejected a decision by a neutral state arbitrator Tuesday night, meaning there is no agreement with the teachers union. The teachers plan a strike to start Wednesday.
"I don't think we're being dealt with in a fair manner here. We tried to negotiate. We received no written proposal,” said board member Charles Shuey, defending his vote to reject the decision.
The more than 180 members of the Shamokin Area teachers union approved a deal reached by a neutral state arbitrator. They were hopeful the board would do the same.
The Shamokin Area teachers have been without a new contract for three years. They say they are among the lowest paid in the state.
"The year I left here, I made a $16,000 increase in a neighboring school district, a neighboring school district that was kind enough to settle without having to go through all the nonsense Shamokin is going through this is pathetic,” said a former teacher in the district who refused to give her name.
In September, members of the Shamokin Area teachers union went on strike. That strike lasted from September 8 through September 28.
Without an agreement, the teachers will strike again. There’s no word how long this strike will last.
"You said if you had support here tonight to accept this, then you would accept it, but now you're making all kinds of reasons as to why you can't accept it,” said Laura Scandle of Coal Township, whose son attends school in Shamokin Area.
"I look around at all of you and I want to keep you all. My son's going to come here in four years. That little boy means the world to me. I'm not leaving my district and I'm trusting in all of you to make his education as good as mine was,” said School Board President Ron McElwee.
The school board voted to approve a resolution to approve some of the salary agreements with teachers, but board members say they want to continue negotiating healthcare among other things.