A Look at Teacher Negotiations Around the State

As teacher contract negotiations continue for both the Warren Township School District and Watchung Hills Regional, here's a summary of what's happening in other districts:

Washington Township, in Gloucester County, has been mired in negotiations for more than two years, and teachers there instituted a "work to rule" limit on hours about six months ago (similar to ). According to an April 6 article in the Washington Township Times, teachers have ended the effort because it accomplished its goal of highlighting "the extensive amount of extra volunteer time teachers put into their jobs that goes unnoticed," Camy Kobylinski, the township's education association president, said.  

Like the .

Meanwhile, Millburn school officials are waiting for their chance to meet with a fact finder, after ending 15 months of mediation sessions, the Millburn Patch reported this morning. The article noted teachers there instituted work to rule hours several weeks ago, also.

NorthJersey.com reported Ramsey officials have a date scheduled with the fact finder on May 22. That district is still trying to pin down an agreement to follow a contract that expired in June of 2006. The district declared it would not follow previously-agreed upon confidentiality rules for the contract talks.

The paper also reported on Cedar Grove District's ongoing negotiations on March 30.

And the Shore News Today reported on March 21 that the Margate education association and school district met with a fact finder on March 15. Like Watchung Hills' negotiators, the district's contract expired in June 30, 2011. 

And closer to home, Somerset Hills district negotiators held a final meeting March 22 in Bernardsville, according to the Bernardsville News. The meeting failed to resolve differences and a meeting with a fact finder will be scheduled.

On the bright side, the Asbury Park Press reported on a settlement reached in Middletown on March 30, however, details were not released on the terms. The article did note the settlement was aided by input from the fact finder's report.