From our friends at the Ocean City Employees Coalition:

Early Voting in Maryland:

You can only vote in an early voting center in the county where you live.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 through Friday, November 2, 2012 from 8 am until 9 pm.

Allegany:
Allegany County Office Complex
701 Kelly Road Suite 212
Cumberland, MD 21502

The Problem?

LANGHORNE, PA (October 28, 2012) — Monday Negotiations Canceled as Hurricane Sandy Approaches; NFT Leaders Say District’s Latest Proposal Threatens to Blow Away Recent Progress

Leaders of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers today called on school district officials to set the record straight on the current status of issues in ongoing contract talks—and to clarify for teachers and the community whether they are committed to reaching an agreement.

The NFT leaders spoke out after news reports in which Neshaminy School Board President

Ritchie Webb discussed matters that remain unresolved in the ongoing negotiations between the NFT and the district. Last week the Board’s attorney offered a partial proposal that had not been fully reviewed by the Board and breaks sharply with progress that has been achieved over the last several weeks as the two sides have bargained over terms modeled after the new Council Rock teachers contract.

Anne Schmidt, NFT vice president and bargaining team member, said that Webb’s comments to the news media “left out the substantial sacrifices that NFT members have offered in the talks.” She also noted that Webb mischaracterized the union’s position on retirement provisions. The NFT’s recent offer unequivocally accepts the Board's demand to end healthcare benefits and the retirement incentive payout for all future retirees.

“Teachers are still reeling from the concessions we offered for the sake of bringing closure,” Schmidt said. “They are stunned and indignant that we’ve given the Board virtually everything they’ve demanded and all it brought was another complete shift—more disruptive tactics from

Mr. Webb and the Board’s attorney. Our members have been patient and hopeful, but they've let us know loud and clear that they are about out of patience.”

She also said that Webb and the district negotiators should be making their statements at the bargaining table. “Mr. Webb said more about the Board’s position in these news reports than he has ever been willing to explain at a negotiating meeting. Too often, their strategy has been to use those meetings for handing papers across the table and then using the press and the board meetings to bash teachers over concerns they have not expressed directly.”

Also today, the two sides agreed to cancel negotiations scheduled Monday evening, after the state mediator guiding the talks suggested that the approach of Hurricane Sandy could make it difficult for him to attend. The next bargaining session is scheduled Wednesday.

NFT President Louise Boyd said that proposal poses “real risks to the quality of education and to the well-being of students” in Neshaminy schools. “We can only hope that they will fill in many of the blanks left by their incomplete proposal,” she said. “As it stands now, this proposal is a step backwards.”

Both NFT leaders said the Board’s latest proposal makes further progress difficult. “We have genuinely tried to keep the focus on what's happening at the bargaining table,” Boyd said, “and it is disappointing that Mr. Webb prefers to express the District’s positions with the media before sharing them at the table. If the Board is more worried about politics and news clippings than good-faith bargaining, the path to a settlement will be difficult.”

Three weeks ago, the NFT made a proposal that offers unprecedented sacrifices by teachers, Schmidt noted. “That proposal modified contract language to address virtually every major objection the Board has raised—including a clarification of the teacher voice provision.

“All we’re asking of Mr. Webb and the Board is to engage with us at the bargaining table on the issues raised in our response to the Council Rock framework,” Schmidt added. “Whether they do that will reveal if they are committed to reaching an agreement. Unfortunately, we're back to asking whether they are at the table with that purpose. We don’t need yet another ‘game-changer’ from the Board. This is not a game, and we want to remain serious about closing in on a settlement.”

LANGHORNE, PA (October 24, 2012) — During face-to-face talks tonight, the Neshaminy School Board presented a partial response to the proposal offered by the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers. The 43-page document was drafted by the Board’s attorney, Chuck Sweet, but it had not been fully reviewed by the Board before being presented tonight. Frustrated by the Board’s marked lack of preparation, the Federation negotiators asked the Board spokesmen to at least explain the most salient aspects of their partial offer and to point out the differences still separating the parties. Incredibly, the Board was unable (or unwilling) to comply with what appeared to be a simple request.

LANGHORNE, PA (October 2, 2012) — The negotiation teams for the Neshaminy School District and the NFT met briefly tonight for a face-to-face discussion. The NFT communicated that they are working to develop a comprehensive response to the board's Council Rock proposal.

The next scheduled bargaining session is this Thursday October 4th.

LANGHORNE, PA (September 27, 2012) — The School Board's negotiation committee met again this evening with the NFT negotiation team. For the third session in a row, the parties engaged in a productive discussion concerning the terms of the Board's "Council Rock" proposal and how it relates to the Neshaminy School District. Additional negotiation dates of October 2nd, 4th & 10th have been scheduled.

LANGHORNE, PA (September 20, 2012) — The parties carried last night’s momentum forward by meeting at the table for a significant period of time to discuss the District’s “Council Rock Proposal.” A number of the unanswered questions posed last night by the NFT negotiation team were answered and new questions were posed. In lieu of the bargaining session scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept. 26 and at the request of the mediator, representatives from each side will meet to review relevant financial data. The parties will meet again on Thursday Sept. 27.

LANGHORNE, PA (September 19, 2012) — The parties met across the table this evening for what both sides agree was a productive negotiation session. The NFT negotiation team provided a number of additional question to the Board regarding it's "Council Rock Proposal". The Board answered a number of questions and requires additional time to provide appropriate responses for the remainder. Negotiations resume tomorrow night.

NFT Analyzing Programmatic and Financial Impacts of Council Rock-Based Proposal

LANGHORNE, PA (September 12, 2012) — Negotiating teams for Neshaminy teachers and the school district met again tonight for talks aimed at resolving the contract dispute that stretched into its fifth academic year when students returned to classes last week.

This was the first session since the Neshaminy School Board formally proposed to use the new contract recently approved in the Council Rock School District as the model for an agreement here.