NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT) — Redbank Valley teachers are expected to strike on Monday, according to Facebook posts from both the school district and the Redbank Valley Education Association.
“The Redbank Valley Education Association will be commencing a strike tomorrow, Monday, September 13,” according to a Sunday evening Facebook post from Redbank Valley School District.
The post said that school will not be in session until further notice.
Sticking points in negotiations include health insurance concessions and a proposed two-year pay freeze for teachers.
The Redbank Valley Education Association addressed rumors of a proposed Sunday evening meeting with the school board.
“We did attempt to schedule a meeting with the board tonight,” said RVEA in a statement posted on Facebook. “However, we were told by attorney Bob Zurata that the board ‘did not have a formal proposal for us.’
“When we left the meeting on September 8, the board assured us they would have a comprehensive proposal for both RVEA and RVESP. The board is clearly trying to play the public relations game and give the appearance of trying to settle.”
The school district fired back in a second Facebook post on Sunday evening.
“Following last week’s meeting, the mediator requested that the parties try to schedule another meeting prior to the strike date,” said the school district on Facebook.
“The district was agreeable to meeting and discussing salary frameworks that could meet our proposal but advised all parties that we would not have a formal proposal prepared in that time frame. The union declined to meet since the district would not be providing a formal proposal. It is the intent of the district to provide a comprehensive formal proposal at a meeting during the week of September 20, 2021, as we indicated we would do two meetings ago.”
“The District has clearly stated to the Education Association that we would not have a formal offer ready until after September 17. We have consistently indicated that we would be ready for the week of September 20. There was never a promise to do so earlier than that.”
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