Nothing To Show For Contract Talks, Teachers Claim Boundary, Bonner Educators Halfway Through Year, But Still No Contract

Teachers in Idaho’s two northernmost school districts are working without contracts.

Negotiations have broken down in both Boundary and Bonner counties, teachers’ union representatives said Wednesday.

The Bonner County school board turned down a 1996-97 contract offer last week even though teachers were willing to accept a salary freeze, said Joan Head, president of the Bonner County Education Association.

“We made an offer which would have provided no general raises to teachers this year, adopted the other agreed-to items which were on the table and would have ended this long-running dispute,” she said.

“Apparently, the district wants to continue the struggle.”

Instead of focusing on repairs of storm-damaged schools, she said, the district will be spending money on attorneys to continue contract talks.

Negotiations started last June. The need to reopen schools closed by the heavy snow is one reason talks have been slow to resume, said school superintendent Max Harrell.

Some storm-related costs won’t be covered by insurance, Harrell said, straining the district’s already tight budget.

This fall, trustees were worried about a cash holdback proposed by the state that would have slashed their budget by $420,000. While the Legislature voted to restore that money, Harrell said he has not been notified that it’s coming.

Harrell was displeased that Head went to the media with her criticism. The union and the school district had agreed that any statements would be issued jointly, he said.

That agreement ended when mediation failed, according to Head.

The Bonner County Education Association represents 335 teachers and support staff, such as janitors.

In Boundary County, the union represents 75 people.

“We were in mediation at the end of October,” said negotiator Jan Studer of the Boundary County Education Association. “At that time, we’d agreed on benefits and could not agree on salary. We’re waiting for a report from the mediator.”

Members will meet next Tuesday to decide what to do next, she said.

Contracts are agreed upon annually. It’s unusual to be this far into the school year without one, union officials said. Bonner County teachers have already assembled a team to negotiate next year’s contract and hope to begin those talks in March.

, DataTimes