Teachers in Hempfield PA could possibly go on strike and are currently only doing the minimum due to contract disputes.
The teachers have been working without a contract since this past June. They have had multiple meetings with the board since then and have yet to reach an agreement. Due to the fact they started a “work to rule,” order meaning they will no longer complete voluntary tasks, such as helping out with a School club, designing a bulletin board, or welcoming students. Teachers will gather as a group to enter and leave their respective buildings at the same time each day, according to Hempfield education association president Tony Jannotta.
Anthony Jannotta stated in an interview “their initial proposal was pretty good, but since then we have tried to find compromise and have struggled to find that.”They feel they should get more money because a lot of the teachers took extra courses or went back to school over the summer, giving them a higher level of education themselves and feel they should be paid accordingly. “Our association feels that the board continues to delay this process by offering proposals that would significantly weaken our contract. Our previous contracts have recruited and retained the excellent teachers that our community has come to expect over the past several decades. HEA is fighting to maintain its strong reputation in the county, and is confused as to why the board wants to erode that reputation while district building and general fund accounts have doubled over the past 5 years.” Was stated by Tony Jannotta
The 510-member union voted nearly unanimously Aug. 19 to approve the order. The union negotiations team chose to enact the work to rule Friday, Jannotta said. “We’re trying to show that when the teachers aren’t cooperating with the administration, because the administration is not cooperating with teachers, then things don’t work,” he said.Thankfully the order has not had an impact on students just yet, but could eventually lead to issues down the line.
Any one of the union members could move for a vote to authorize a strike, Jannotta said, which could begin no sooner than 48 hours after that vote. Those negotiating the contract – a mix of board members, administrators and union members – last met Sept. 17 and plan to meet again Oct. 1. The union will meet again as a whole Oct. 2 to discuss developments of the Oct. 1 meeting, Jannotta said. The two sides will meet again on October 8 to negotiate a new deal.
District’s average salaries
- Payroll: The average salary for administrators in the district for the 2022-23 school year was $122,810. The average classroom teacher salary during that same time was $81,570, according to openpagov.org.
- Enrollment: Hempfield School District covers 44 square miles and serves approximately 7,000 students from K-12.
- Schools Composition: The district includes five elementary, two middle, and one high school, providing comprehensive education across levels.
