BVAEA sets March 13 strike date
By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com
Teachers in the Belle Vernon Area School District Monday put the district on notice that they intend to strike starting March 13 if there’s not a new contract in place.
The union, which has 159 members including teachers and education specialists, has been working without a contract since June 30, 2019, though contract talks began in January of last year.
The decision to strike came after learning from the school board that a negotiating session scheduled for last week had been canceled.
“When our members learned that the board had canceled the session, they had a lot to say and, in a word, they saw this antic as another piece of ‘gamesmanship’ from a board that they don’t believe is sincere in seeking a settlement,” said Belle Vernon Area Education Association President Daneen Watson, a Spanish teacher with 20 years in the district. “Our team has worked hard to find a resolution. We have made significant concessions in a number of areas and have met the board on issues that were of importance to them.”
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