With the somewhat controversial 2009-2010 school district budget approved,
albeit by a 6-2 vote and some disagreement over cuts to the 3.98% tax hike,
attention will soon turn to the teacher's union and its pending contract
expiration.

The South Orange Maplewood Education Association, which represents about 750
members, last forged a new agreement in 2007. But that deal occurred only
after two years of negotiations, a state-appointed arbitrator, and at least
two protest days off for teachers.

With a new push on statewide for public employees to begin paying part of
their health benefits -- which SO-M teachers do not -- and the ongoing
expectation that school district spending remain low, these negotiations are
likely to become at least heated, if not impassed.

The current contract, which dates back to 2007, ends June 30. School
officials declined to comment on the current status of negotiations, while
Union President Paula Bethea, a guidance counselor at South Orange Middle
School, did not return calls.

Some close to the discussions have said both sides are not talking, while
others contend there is some back-and-forth.

School Board President Mark Gleason said only that the two sides "remain in
dialogue," then added, "we are not commenting on the dialogue."

Jessica De Koninck, who became district general counsel in February, said
"it is kind of premature to talk about negotiations. Our agreement is that
we won¹t talk about it."

The current contract provided an average 4.6% annual raise after the
protracted negotiations that dragged from 2005 to 2007. During those
discussions, the school board requested that the teachers contribute to the
health benefit costs, but a state-appointed fact-finder brought in to
oversee negotiations chose not to mandate them.

In his budget message earlier this month on the latest $112 million spending
plan, approve Monday, Gleason stated: "this budget contains a projected
increase of 7 percent in employee health benefits. This accounts for nearly
one fifth of the proposed tax increase. This is a line item that is beyond
our district¹s control, as rates are set annually by the State Health
Benefits Plan. We have benefited in the past year from savings that were
negotiated at the state level; however, experts in health insurance have
advised that a correction is likely when insurers in the state plan are
permitted to adjust rates in the upcoming year. In the last round of
collective bargaining with the teachers union, the Board attempted to secure
agreement for employees to share in the rising cost of health benefits.
However, the state-appointed ³fact finder² who arbitrated the eventual
settlement rejected this proposal and mandated that the district continue to
pay 100 percent of employee health premiums."

Some in the district still remember the bitter 1990 teachers strike, which
lasted nearly 10 days and sparked contempt charges against some union
leaders and teachers.

"No one wants to see that," De Koninck said of past disputes.

Most parents and residents do not believe the negotiations will get to that
level again. But, with the union likely to fight a health benefit payment
and the district seeking to keep the spending levels low in such difficult
economic times, the talks will probably have their heated moments.