Teacher contract talks halted until January

Attempts for a one-year extension of current deal stymied by gap between proposals By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com POCOPSON — Any hopes for an early contract extension for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers appear to have been dashed and further talks between the two sides are expected to halt until January, 2013. While representatives from the district — board...

Coup De ‘Ville: Teachers pact seems fair

If nobody won, maybe we all did; and an issue that seems to be united southeast PA Republicans and Democrats By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com That quiet you hear (or don’t) is the much-awaited peace following the deal being finalized between Unionville’s teachers and the school district. I honestly expected more in the way of kicking about the deal — yeah, I’m well aware of Paul...

Board, teachers ratify new contract

Three-year deal calls for status quo, then 3% raises, givebacks on health care in next two years By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — It’s all over, even the shouting, although there was a bit of that at the end. The Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education and its teachers union formally ratified a new three-year contract through the 2012-13 school year, Monday night,...

DEAL! Teachers, district reach tentative agreement

After what was described as two weeks of “marathon” talks, negotiators for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and it teachers have reached a tentative deal for a new contract. The agreement, announced late Friday night, must still be ratified by the teachers rank and file and the Board of Education. The terms of the deal are being kept confidential until both sides formally agree...

Column: time for a middle path to teachers’ contract

Deadlock won’t be solved by more posturing and playing politics By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com It’s Monday afternoon, and I don’t have the slightest idea of what to write. Another manifesto from the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District popped into my email box Friday afternoon, which to be honest was not a lot different from the manifesto from the Unionville Chadds Ford Education...

Teachers say new board demands deadlocked contract talks

Union claims that new changes seniority, work hours offers stopped progress to new deal By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Unionville district teachers say that the Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education introduced seniority language and a range of new demands at the 11th hour in June contract talks — torpedoing any chance of a contract settlement before a July 1 deadline for healthcare...

District cuts salary offer to UCF teachers, talks stalled

Cites health care costs, proposal slows seniority wages hike cut framework previously rejected by teachers. By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com As expected, the failure of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School district and its teachers to reach a deal on a new contract by July 1 meant two things: teachers won’t see a change in their health care costs or contribution in the 2011-12 school year...

Despite funds restoration, Unionville unlikely to rehire layoffs

Administrators preparing plan for $827K; teacher contract talks seen as stalled again By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — While the restoration of some $827,000 in state funds gives the Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education some options in the coming weeks, it appears that one option won’t be restoring any of the support positions slashed in the 2011-12 budget. Superintendent...

Unionville Teachers: we’ll accept wage freeze, salary offer

Union, district still can’t agree on health care issues in 11-month contract talks By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com Teachers in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District say they will accept a pay freeze — in fact, teachers say they accepted the district’s entire May 9 proposal on salaries and say they still have not gotten a response from the district. The teachers stopped short...

Teachers, district spar publicly over contract talks

Both sides claim the other is putting out inaccurate information on the web By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — So much for the era of good feelings. The ongoing talks between the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers turned publicly angry Monday night at the Board of Education meeting, as both sides alleged the other is posting misleading information...