Teachers Surprised to Read About Negotiating Session
Board attorney’s assertion of a scheduled meeting not shared with teachers prior to mention in media accounts
RUTLAND TOWN – The men and women who teach Rutland Town’s children were surprised this morning to read that the board had scheduled a negotiating session for next week.
And while neither the board nor its attorney had notified the members of the Rutland Town Education Association about the meeting, the association remains willing to sit down and negotiate a settlement that is fair to them, the taxpayers and the students.
The revelation of such a meeting came during the second day of informational picketing outside the school, an event that drew even more people than Tuesday’s inaugural outing, including fellow Vermont-NEA members from other districts in the county.
“We were surprised to learn that the board had scheduled a meeting to resume negotiations, particularly since we had to read about it in the newspaper first,” said Jodi Manning, president of the Rutland Town Education Association. “This is especially surprising given that just last week, the board ceased negotiations when it imposed working conditions on us.”
Manning said that the association remains committed to forging a settlement with the board, and noted that the teachers had already offered compromises in order to reach a fair deal.
Informational picketing will continue outside the school from 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Thursday and Friday.