Little progress seen on VWFT contract

Van Wert independent

Although both sides failed to reach an agreement during a mediation meeting held Tuesday between the Van Wert City Board of Education and the Van Wert Federation of Teachers, at least one side seems to feel things are moving closer to a settlement.

“Mediation tonight didn’t result in an agreement,” VWCS Superintendent Staci Kaufman acknowledged. “We explored various possibilities and I believe we are closer than we were in previous meetings.”

Kaufman noted that both sides are using the agreed-upon process, and “now

have a narrower set of variables to work with.

“The board will review and discuss progress made and where we are now at the regular December meeting (tonight, at 5 p.m., in the conference room of the S.F. Goedde building),” Kaufman added.

VWFT President Jeff Hood was not as positive as Kaufman on the results of Tuesday’s meeting.

“Our negotiations meeting tonight was unproductive,” Hood said, noting, “We offered to settle on a two-year deal at 2 percent/2 percent on salary, give up the PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) insurance plan in 2019, no movement on HSA (Health Savings Account) premium, and move the supplemental base 4 percent each year. We are suggesting ‘fact finding’, which is the next step after mediation.”

Hood said the city school board will look at moving to the fact finding step during tonight’s meeting, adding, however, that the board must agree to participate before that can happen.

Teachers have been working “bell to bell” for the past week or so, and that will continue at least until the next meeting between the two sides.

Hood said the VWFT will also have representatives at tonight’s board meeting.

The teachers have been working under their previous contract since it expired on July 1 of this year and sought mediation last month to try and come to an agreement with the board.