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East Ramapo teachers tell board contract violations, forced second evening erode trust
Summary
Teachers and union leaders told the East Ramapo board the district has repeatedly overridden past practice and contractual terms — singling out an order that forced middle school teachers to attend a second evening event — and warned the union will pursue grievances and arbitration if patterns continue.
Tricia McNabb, president of the East Ramapo Teachers Association, told the board on Dec. 9 that the district’s recent approach to scheduling and other decisions has damaged morale and, she said, violated teachers’ contractual rights. "Forcing middle school teachers to attend a second evening event not only violates our contract, but further erodes trust," McNabb said during the public comment period.
Several teachers and union officers amplified that message. Jennifer Roberts, a third-grade teacher and elementary vice president of the teachers association, praised retiring Principal Jacqueline Polanco while saying most members "feel a level of disrespect" from some upper administration and that grievances have been used to raise contract violations. Tony Stevens, a Spring Valley High School social studies teacher, framed the unions’ role as civic and democratic and criticized what he called a growing disregard for the bargaining process.
Scott Smith, a 22-year teacher, described instances he said illustrate a pattern of unilateral action by district leaders, including last year’s handling of pay for class-size overages and the last-minute middle school start-time change. Smith said some teachers still have not been fully paid for previous overages and that the dispute over the second-night requirement has moved to arbitration.
Union leaders at the meeting urged the board to halt unilateral changes and to restore collaborative bargaining. The public comments closed with multiple speakers emphasizing the unions’ commitment to students while warning the district that the union would pursue remedies if violations continue.
The board took no formal action on the contract complaints at the meeting; members heard the remarks during the public comment portion and staff acknowledged the issues would inform future discussions and negotiations.
