Public Relations > News: Contract Negotiations > School Board's Push for Final-Best-Offer (Nonbinding) Arbitration Gets Union Approval in Souderton - September 18th, 2008

School Board's Push for Final-Best-Offer (Nonbinding) Arbitration Gets Union Approval in Souderton
Classes to resume tomorrow - Friday, September 19

The Souderton Area School District is pleased to announce that the Souderton Area Education Association (SAEA) has voted to submit to final-best-offer (non-binding) arbitration, thus ending a lengthy strike effective immediately.

School Ready for Reopening
All Souderton Area School District schools will reopen tomorrow, Friday, September 19, for students and teachers. Kindergarten Orientation will take place as previously planned. Sophomores who attend North Montco will report to the North Montco Technical Career Center according to their regular schedule on busses that will leave the High School at 7:40 AM.

Arbitration Process Begins
The School Board is convinced that persistence paid off. "Since Monday we have been stressing to the union that there is no need to wait until Sept. 24 for the final-best-offer arbitration process to begin - this process is one that can be entered into voluntarily," said Jeffrey Sultanik, chief negotiator for the district. "We are glad that the teachers did what was best for the students of the district. Now, children can return to school and we can continue the hard work of reaching an agreement that is fair to both teachers and the community." During the final-best-offer arbitration process, strikes are prohibited.

Once both parties submit to the final-best-offer arbitration process, they have 10 days to put together their final best offers on all unresolved contractual issues. These offers are then submitted for review to a three-member panel consisting of two interest arbitrators and one neutral arbitrator.

Both final best contract offers will be posted publicly and a 10-day public comment period will follow. Hearings will be held before the panel and the panel is required to consider the following factors:

1. the public interest;
2. the interest and welfare of the union;
3. the financial capability of the District;
4. the results of negotiations between the parties prior to the last best contract offers;
5. changes in the cost-of-living;
6. the existing terms and conditions of the employment of the union members and those of similar groups; and
7. other information deemed relevant by the panel.

Twenty days after the last hearing, the panel is required to issue a written determination. Both the District and the SAEA must either accept or reject the recommendation within 10 days. If both parties accept the recommendation, there would be a binding contract. If either the District or the union rejects the recommendation, the union could go on strike again. The strike would likely happen in late spring of 2009 and the duration would be limited to about a week so that students would be able to receive 180 days of education by June 30, 2009.

Negotiations aside, Superintendent Charles Amuso looks forward to an exciting and enriching year for students and the 2009 opening of Souderton's new high school. "I am delighted to have students and teachers back in the classes tomorrow," he stressed.