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Teachers union tells Pleasantville Board that HR is denying salary-guide credits; asks board to act
Summary
The Pleasantville Education Association told the Board of Education it has filed a grievance after Human Resources denied credits for placement on the district salary guide and that the union wants the board to receive and act on the grievance.
Kathy Watson, president of the teachers union that represents about 600 educators in the Pleasantville Public School District, told the school board on March 11 that the union has filed a grievance alleging the district's Human Resources department has misinterpreted contract language and denied placement credit on the Salary Guide for courses teachers have earned. Watson said the union sent a response to proposed agreements on Feb. 28 and, after receiving a district reply it found unsatisfactory, intends to bring the grievance to the board and pursue arbitration if needed.
"The Human Resources department has misinterpreted contractual language that guides tuition reimbursement and utilizes the language to deny employees advancement on the Salary Guide," Watson said. She asked the board to accept the grievance and to ensure teachers receive credit for graduate-level coursework beyond a bachelor's degree.
Watson read the collective-bargaining language aloud during public comment, citing provisions that: place certificated professionals on the correct pay scale only upon meeting qualifications and providing proof; state adjustments are not retroactive; and require responsibility for proving qualifications remain with employees. Watson said the contract text specifies movement across the Salary Guide is made for graduate-level credits only, and argued HR must not limit credit to coursework tied to a teacher's current assignment.
Board members offered a brief procedural response: a board member said a response had been provided to the union but the union did not accept it, that the next step in the grievance process is the board and then arbitration. Watson and the union asked the board to accept the grievance and said they sought a copy of the district's response.
The board did not take an immediate formal vote on the grievance during the meeting. Watson asked that the board be informed and that the district provide documents the union has requested.
Ending: The union flagged the issue for the board to consider as a formal grievance and said it intends to pursue the contract procedure if the board does not resolve the dispute. The board said it would forward the matter through the grievance steps shown in the contract and noted an arbitration stage could follow if the parties do not resolve the matter earlier.
