Teachers union files labor complaint against school committee
Teachers union files labor complaint against school committee
By Kim Ring, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
SPENCER — The Spencer-East Brookfield Teachers Association has filed a complaint with the state Department of Labor Relations after a school committee member chastised the teachers for filing grievances during a fiscal crisis.
According to the complaint, the union believes the school district has "clearly and patently refused to honor" part of its collective bargaining agreement that relates to salary "lane" movements that would result in pay increases based on education and years of service.
The teachers also charged that comments by Vincent P. Cloutier related to the filing of grievances were "inflammatory" and stirred "public sentiment against the union members." The comments also affected the ability of the union to exercise "their rights to enforce a collective bargaining agreement" and violate state law.
Mr. Cloutier, angered that the union has filed several grievances, at least one of which related to increased salaries, said the action was like "spitting on the voters," who had rejected an override and would later approve a compromise budget at a regional meeting.
He told the union there would be a war as a result of the grievances.
The state is now poised to take over the district's finances and could set the school budget as early as next week.
The Department of Labor Relations will investigate.
I will be happy when Spencer/West Brookfield finally find out where they stand with the state. I think I understand Mr. Cloutier's frustration. It is hard to live up to decisions made in the past, when money is tight. Some where down the road the people who work for the schools and are on School Committees in Massachusetts need to figure out the realities of just how much money the towns have to work with. It is a pretty thin blanket used to cover everyone, but people need to share and that is the bottom line. Down the road, our roads will be dirt due to a lack of money to fix them if we can not find a larger source of income, other than the people in this town who as a whole do not have a income big enough to get the money from. I have heard that a couple of people have taken papers out for selectman. I hope these people remember that it is their job to represent the community as a whole. Anyone that thinks that being a selectman in a small town is easy, is a fool. A selectman is never going to make everyone happy, but it is their job to do the best for the people in a town and to do their share in bringing new ideas to the table. Showing up five minutes before a meeting to skim through paperwork that should have been read earlier, and not having the courage to vote for what is best for the town, is not what the people in this town voted for when they supported the people that sit in the chairs of selectman. The town of Templeton has come a long way in the last couple of years. Our government is running more efficiently, without spending money we do not have on useless projects that benefit no one but a small few. I think if the selectmen take a closer look at some of the departments they can be combined with no problem at all, as the building boom is long gone. We have to use what we have, and do the best we can to get our town on it's feet, and I think we will be ok. Has anyone heard anything about the Baldwinville Nursing Home being sold ? I just was wondering if they are still a non profit business ? Good news is that a Mr. Lang bought the building down by the old little league field in Baldwinville. The building that was Tolman's museum is now going to house Lang's used parts for old ford cars. So any new business is a good thingfor our town.
ReplyDeleteyour all living an illusion in dream land ,,, the internal administration of town is only working repetitiously and increasing beyond our means NOw at the cost of property owner much of doing the same thing over and over is define , there is no leadership proof is look back at the number of voters who won the 2 1/2 over ride pleading , The continue faults truths is beyond reasonable common since , No school should encompass people homes or properties . there is nothing unanimously good about the continue lack of direction or opportunity in Templeton , My assurance is simple you can not continue to tap what is empty or care less about who you tap to save a town that takes its orders for a bankrupt state . The virtual non existent of employment is everywhere , but wisdom gives you patience
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