en en en en en pl en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
GREENCASTLE, Pa. — With a tentative labor contract finally on the voting agendas of both the school district and the education association, the Greencastle-Antrim community is looking to heal from a process that became contentious and polarizing.
“I think we can get past it,” Greencastle-Antrim School Board President James E. Winslow said. “That's what we teach our children. When something happens, we deal with it and then move on. I think we should all make sure our actions are something we'd all want our children to duplicate.”
More than in any previous contract-negotiation process, social media became the court of public opinion as the talks stretched over more than a year and came to the point where the union set a strike date. In the past few months, Facebook exchanges became, at times, nasty and divisive.
“It has bothered a lot of teachers, some of the comments they have read,” said Brandon Solomon, chief negotiator for the Greencastle-Antrim Education Association. “As they say, time heals all things.”
Solomon said last week when the tentative deal finally was struck that there was a change.
“I think there's a sense of ease,” he said. “Especially at the high school, there was an exhale from everyone. It was like everyone said OK, and the tension that was in the air wasn't there as much.”
The district's 181 teachers, guidance counselors, nurses, reading specialists and librarians have worked for seven months under the terms of an expired contract. A fact-finder and mediator were called in, but salary and benefit issues kept the sides apart.
Two strike dates were averted before the tentative deal was hammered out. Terms of the four-year deal won't be released until it is finalized.
Winslow, who engaged on Facebook during the process, said the social-media forum brought out the extremes.
“There will have to be some discussions made public so the community can understand that the board never felt that teachers are greedy or lazy,” he said.
“When we shared information, it was because we felt financially we were in the situation we were. That was obviously the basis for our decisions.
"We were trying to share information to help support that.
The same should be true of the people who decided that they were going to slander the board and administration because they supported teachers.
“It was disappointing to see the public go off the rails on it and, all of a sudden, it became derogatory. I didn't think that was right. It was sad to see from all sides. A public discussion about that is important. I don't know how it gets addressed yet, or how that becomes part of the healing, but it should be part of it.”
Solomon hopes future contract negotiations never get to a similar point.
“We will continue to always do our best for the students and for the community,” he said.
Careers Staff Directory Accessibility Site Map Legals Our Ethical Principles Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy PolicyDo Not Sell My Info / Cookie Policy
Contact Us Support Local Business Advertise Your Business Advertising Terms and Conditions Licensing & Reprints Help Center Subscriber Guide My Account Give Feedback