A teachers’ strike could be brewing in the Bristol Township School District.
The majority of the Bristol Township Education Association, which represents roughly 500 teachers, voted late Monday afternoon to authorized a strike. According to state law, the soonest the teachers could go on strike is 48 hours after the vote is taken, but an immediate strike seems less than likely.
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BTEA President Mary Berman said the members of the union “voted overwhelmingly in support of strike authorization.”
“The vote was taken due to the lack of meaningful progress in negotiating a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Bristol Township Board of School Directors,” a statement handed the press read.
Multiple teachers confirmed to LevittownNow.com the impending vote Tuesday afternoon and said they had not heard whether a strike would actually happen.
See how much Bucks County school districts pay their teachers
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Berman said the BTEA was ready to come to a “viable agreement” with the district. She noted the district seemed unwilling to meet in recent months to come to an agreement.
“Our trust in you has been severely damaged,” Berman told the board.
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Board member Stacy Gerlach fired back and said she was ready to come back to the bargaining table. She noted she was disappointed the union did not wish to meet face-to-face during the last bargaining session in September.
During the board meeting, it was revealed BTEA leadership and district administration had met several times to discuss the contract. Board members said they were not invited to the meetings.
By the end of the board meeting, both sides seemed agreeable to meet for further negotiations. As of 9:30 p.m., none had yet to be scheduled.
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“The ball is in your court,” Berman told the board.
BTEA members have previously said raises and healthcare costs were sticking points in the contract impasse.
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The previous contract expired roughly two years ago.
Strike authorization votes are often used by teachers’ unions to put pressure on districts in an effort to reach a deal that both sides agree on.
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Due to the more than 150 teachers at Monday evening’s school board meeting, the public meeting had to be moved to the auditorium around 7:30 p.m. The beginning of the meeting was delayed so the meeting could be relocated to the larger room.
