West New York teachers continue fight for new contract with massive protest

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Around 400 West New York teachers, staff and students protested outside of the board of education headquarters on Broadway this evening to let the administration know they won’t stop making noise until they get a new contract.

[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDiJGiRZQCo&feature=youtu.be[/fve]

“What do we want? Contracts! When do we want them? Now!,” hundreds of teachers chanted outside of 6028 Broadway prior to a scheduled negotiation meeting.

As only Hudson County View has reported, the West New York Education Association has been without a contract since July 2015 and have voiced their displeasure clearly and loudly at the March and April meetings of the board of education.

“Well, we go into mediation tonight, we’re meeting with the mediator for the first time … it’s very disheartening to be told your not going to be get a raise this year, next year or the year after,” Anita Kober, the West New York Education Association president, said during an interview with Hudson County View.

“We work very hard in the schools, all of our employees do: the secretaries, the paraprofessionals, the custodians and the maintenance, those are all the people involved in a child’s upbringing. It’s not just teachers, it’s not just about the teachers. It’s everyone in this union.”

Kober didn’t get into the particulars of what the WNYEA are asking for in their contract, other than stating “we aren’t asking for much” and that they were given a certain percentage in December – only for the figure to be rescinded by February.

Tom DeSocio, an NJEA Univserv field representative, echoed Kober’s sentiment regarding the negotiations.

“We have no contract: we were moving along up until December when the board woke up one morning and found out, they decided, they have no money for us,” he stated.

“So they’ve offered us no raises, zero increases for this year and for next year, and while we might recognize that there might be a budget problem, we’re not going to allow them to take it out on the backs of the employees in this district.”

DeSocio added that if a budget problem indeed exists, “it was five years in the making … so they’re gonna have to do what they can, shake the couch cushions and find some money so we can get a contract settlement.”

Nico Behnke, a Public School No. 2 PTO board member, called the board of education’s negotiating up to this point “shameful,” despite the “inspiring” work of the teachers who he says regularly volunteer their time for students.

Superintendent of Schools Clara Brito Herrera did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment, while School Business Administrator Dean Austin also did not immediately return an email seeking comment.


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8 COMMENTS

  1. Alll Parkinson has to do is eliminate the shared service agreement with the town of WNY and he will have 800k every year to give teachers there WELL DESERVED RAISE. The boa d should not be paying the city to use its fields. He will never do that because he will be told NO by MANNY DIAZ the enforcer from the PAIN REKIEF CENTER. Where is COSMO / Joey / Merly / Munoz fighting for the TEACHERS. Bring back SAL !!!!! He took care of his teachers.

    Jonathan and Denise step up and VOTE NO FOR THE SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT ,,,,,,,

  2. This is an outrage. The B.O.E only cares about themselves and for what…they arent the ones who wake up everyday teaching the students so y should they get paid 177k a year? It was heart breaking to find out that a wny resident’s daughter is in the 4th grade n still cant read. The B.O.E are money hungry backstabbing people who just wants to pocket the money and not care bout the importance of children education. If They really cared bout working the situation out then y dont the B.O.E take pay cuts…they aint doing jack crap in their offices…

    • Id like to kno why are they wasting tax payers money on bull**** rather giving the teachers n those in the union wat they want. Wny boe is disgusting…they dont care bout the children they should all be fired. They only care bout money in their pockets…these teachers dont get to live comfortable some teachers cant pay all their bills cuz they salary is decreasing…boe u should be ashamed n those siding with the boe should be too…ill see ya next meeting boe n u cant silence everyone…

  3. The district spends approximately $17,000 per student annually, for schools that are failing for decades, and they expect raises what a joke.From top to bottom no one in the district merits receiving an extra penny. Stop raping the tax payors. School choice the only way to go!

    • Listen u may think that 17000 are being used per child but ur not truely sure…the stupid board of ed schemes n plots to gain extra money in their pockets…u have students who are part of the gifted n talented classes who dont get their education due to the school cancelling it almost everyday…teachers deserve to have raises n new contracts…mrs./ms. Herrera sued the board to gain more money on her salary how messed up is dat…the teachers havent had shyt n worked without contracts for more then 3 years…plus getting a percentage taken out each year…the children are our futures…wen u work n uve worked for years doing the same thing n lets say ur making $8.50 an hour dont u think u deserve a raise dont u deserve to get a brand new contract or are u ok with making the same every week every year? Every year rent goes up car insurance goes up every other bill goes up…do u think ur gonna get stuff done if ur getting paid the same crap while ur bills are growing higher…dont blame the teachers blame those leeching money hungry ass abusers called board of ed…

  4. Teachers have been scapegoated and beaten up for far too long. Our labor is undervalued and we are being asked to do more and more frivolous paperwork that does not enhance education, instead it detracts from it. One of the reasons I am running for Congress is because I am tired of politicians disrespecting middle class professions and not valuing our work or hearing our input. If they did listen to us, SGOs, evaluations based on standardized exams, and the privatization of public education would not be happening. None of these things have improved student achievement and instead, have just exasperated our current educational inequality. Moreover, these reforms are destroying a middle class profession. As teachers, it is time that we stand up and fight for our profession. I stand with you in this contract fight and I hope you stand with me on June 7th 2016,

    In Solidarity,

    Eloy

  5. The main person responsible for this situation is clara herrera. She promotes her friends spends all of the money on things that don’t matter and disrepects the teachers. And she has the nerve to sue the district for more money for herself. What a piece of garbage she is.

  6. These teachers don’t deserve a raise at the expense of tax payers… And factor in all the kids in the school system that are here illegally in this town….Fuck that… It’s enough giving raises to people that already make way more money than they deserve… The education in Memorial sucks…. when a teacher retires.. they throw a sub in the class to not have to hire anyone… No kids are learning….

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