Schools

Christie Proposal Would Allow BOE to Impose Contract Terms on Teachers

The state teachers' union and the school board association are at odds over the proposal.

School boards might once again be allowed to unilaterally impose contracts on local teachers' and principals' unions. Gov. Chris Christie, as part of his 34-part toolkit, has proposed reinstating a "last offer/best offer" component to contract negotiations that was banned by law in 2003.

Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association, said that the proposal would help boards of education by allowing them to conclude contract negotiations that fall apart.

"It would give the boards more power at the negotiating table," he said. Current policy allows boards and teachers unions to go to binding arbitration, a process that Christie has argued leads to higher compensation awards.

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The last offer/best offer proposal is part of the arbitration reform component of the toolkit, which will be decided by the legislature this summer. Michael Drewniak, Christie's press secretary, declined to comment on the specifics of the last offer/best offer proposal, saying the bill is still being written.

The New Jersey Education Association strongly opposes the proposal. "That is a bad idea," NJEA spokesman Steve Baker said. "It eliminates the concept of collective bargaining when one party can stall the process and then impose its will. That's not collective bargaining." He also disputed Christie's claim that last offer/best offer would reduce salaries and limit pay raises. 

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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