Teachers and board reach agreement
Marathon negotiating
session is fruitful
in South Brunswick

CHARLES W. KIM Kristine Kaufman and Alexis Pezzicola join about 300 teachers in a rally at South Brunswick H.S. on Tuesday.

BY CHARLES W. KIM

Staff Writer

South Brunswick teachers may finally have a deal. South Brunswick Education Association President Sylvia Lee said that a tentative agreement was reached with the Board of Education at about 4:15 a.m. yesterday.

"It was a tough one," Lee said.

The teachers union and board negotiating teams met Tuesday night with a state mediator to try to iron out an agreement between the parties.

"We are in for the long haul," Lee told the teachers before the start of the 6:30 p.m. session Tuesday.

According to Lee, the details of the agreement will not be released to the public until the membership has a chance to review it.

"I will be reporting to them this afternoon," Lee said yesterday.

Lee estimates that the proposal may be voted on by the membership sometime early next month.

Teachers have been working under the terms of their old contract since July 1. The board and union have been negotiating a new contract since February but reached an impasse in August, according to the board.

Prior to the negotiation session, about 300 teachers rallied at the high school.

"We are here to send a message to the board. We are strong, we are unified, and we will not give up until we get the contract we deserve," Lee said.

Members of teachers’ unions from Piscataway, East Bruns-wick, Monroe, North Bruns-wick and Edison joined the SBEA in the protest.

Frank Za-remba, president of the county teachers union, told the crowd that all the local unions stood with South Brunswick teachers in their fight.

"The board has been playing a lot of games, canceling board meetings and disappointing parents who looked forward to communicating with the board," Lee said.

Two previous board meetings were canceled, and the next scheduled meeting is set for Monday, according to district officials.

One of the main issues facing the board and union is the disparity among the salary steps in the district.

The union is asking for an equal distribution of dollars between the 13 pay steps, according to Lee.

Middle school social studies teacher Sal Scurato said that the disparity is causing teachers to leave the district after a few years.

"They are leaving to [go to] districts that pay more," Scurato said.

Scurato, who started teaching in the district in 1974, said that this kind of impasse is not really new to the district, and that it is not fair.

"The teachers have to come [to the board] with a cup in hand. All we are looking for is parity. Why do the teachers have to do that?" Scurato asked.

He said teachers want to stay in the district.

"We are here because we have a commitment to the kids. They [teachers] love South Brunswick. That’s why they are here," Scurato said.

According to Scurato, the last time there was such an impasse in the district was in 1976, which led to a strike.

"Not one of the board members returned [to office] after that," Scurato said.

Scurato said that the growth of the township has little to do with what the union is seeking in the new contract.

"It is not about buildings, it is about equity. These are the people that raise the property values," Scurato said, explaining that the new people in the community are moving in because of the school system.

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-14th District) also attended the rally to express support for the teachers.

"I know how important education is in this community. You should have a settlement pretty soon," Greenstein said.