September 16, 2009

East Providence teachers call pay plan a ‘stunt’

Evaluation language in contract not open to bargaining

    The East Providence Education Association (EPEA) today dismissed the district’s School Committee proposal for performance pay as just another publicity stunt.

    “It’s a power move to grab headlines and create a stir among my members,” said EPEA President Valarie Lawson, referring to the letter sent to union headquarters last Friday from Attorney Daniel Kinder.

    “We won’t be distracted by these latest accusations. We haven’t been asked to talk about the financial crisis, and neither have we ignored or refused requests to continue bargaining, as Kinder claims. They can’t keep their story straight.”

    Lawson continued, “The School Committee knows we’re ready to sit down and talk if they have something to say other than ‘you’re going to have to pay for the deficit.’”

    The invitation to negotiate in Kinder’s cover letter on the pay plan was smoke and mirrors, according to Lawson. “Our contract already has an evaluation mechanism in place, and any changes have to be bargained. Whatever the arbitrator put in place last December is the contract we’re operating under today, minus anything financial,” she said.

    An official union letter in response to the pay for performance plan stated the following: “The EPEA remains available and willing to bargain with the school committee. However, consistent with the Ryan arbitration panel, teacher evaluation procedures are binding on both parties. While the Union is not inclined to reopen the contract on a binding issue such as teacher evaluation, we are ready and willing to bargain with the school committee over the unsettled financial terms of the successor agreement to the 2005-08 contract.” The letter also offered several meeting dates.

    As far as lingering questions about the teachers’ PRIDE campaign, Lawson tried to dispel any uncertainties. “We’ve been clear all along, but maybe not clear enough for Chairman Carcieri. We’ll write the letters, we’ll provide after school help, we’ll teach, we’ll tutor, we’ll take care of the kids, but we won’t be bullied by a School Committee that can’t get its own house in order.”

    Citing last week’s rejection of the district’s plan to overcome its deficit, Lawson said, “Even the Auditor General thinks Committee members need to go back to school.”