Quaker Valley School District officials, teachers continue contract negotiations

The Quaker Valley teachers’ union and school district officials are inching closer toward a new contract.

The previous four-year deal with the 165-member Quaker Valley Education Association union expired June 30.

The negotiations teams met Oct. 25.

It was unclear how talks progressed. However, officials from both sides of the table spoke with the Tribune-Review via email prior to that session.

Jeff Sebastian, union president and chief negotiator, said they began meeting with the district’s team in January.

“At the start, our team presented our proposal and rationale for the changes we wanted to discuss/implement,” he said. “While both parties continued to discuss the issues up to and through the expiration of the contract, unfortunately there was little progress on reaching an agreement during that time.

“As you might guess, this has certainly been a distraction, and our teachers are feeling frustrated and disappointed. At this time, however, QVEA remains committed to serving our students and the community. Hopefully we will soon reach a deal — and QVEA remains committed to doing so.”

Both Quaker Valley and the union have declined to disclose specific terms in their proposals.

Sebastian said the sticking points include wages, health care contributions, work time and “a handful of language items relating to working conditions.”

He said the union is not currently considering a strike, but it would only need to give the district 48-hour notice should its members decide to walk off the job.

Superintendent Tammy Andreyko is part of the district’s negotiation team. Student enrollment is 1,824.

“The school board and administration are committed to a fair and productive negotiation process with our dedicated teachers,” she said.

“I want to assure our community that these negotiations are continuing, and we are actively engaged in constructive conversations.”

She also confirmed salaries, benefits and working conditions remain the critical topics.

“We appreciate the dedication of our teachers and their commitment to our schools, and we are optimistic about reaching an agreement that benefits everyone involved,” Andreyko said.

“Out of an abundance of respect for the Quaker Valley Education Association and the ongoing negotiation process, we will not share any additional details about the terms and offers at this time.”

Demonstrations

There have been small pro-teacher demonstrations outside Quaker Valley schools in recent weeks.

They took place at the middle school and Osborne Elementary during morning student drop-off Sept. 19 and outside Edgeworth Elementary and the high school during morning drop-off Oct. 12.

The district issued a letter to the community addressing those issues, and there have not been any further demonstrations as of press time.

“We acknowledge and respect the First Amendment rights of those who choose to express their opinions through peaceful demonstrations,” the letter read, in part. “However, we are dedicated to ensuring that our students’ educational experience is as uninterrupted and secure as possible. Should demonstrations hinder this process, we ask that you contact your child’s building principal.”

The letter also stated the demonstrations were not endorsed by the district or the teachers’ union.

Sebastian said he has not had any personal contact with the demonstrators, and his organization prefers to remain neutral.

“At this time, QVEA has neither endorsed nor organized any rally or demonstration,” Sebastian said. “However, we are thrilled to have the support of any/all community members in our fight for a new teacher contract that is fair for both the district and the community.”

Sewickley, Leetsdale and Leet police have not reported any issues as a result of the demonstrations.