Teachers not confident of contract Meeting produces only frustration. Both sides in Oxford district had hoped to reach a deal by Sept. 1. Wednesday, August 16, 2006 • By SARA K. SATULLO • The Express-Times OXFORD TOWNSHIP | Teachers in the Oxford School District criticized the school board for stalling on its latest contract proposal but were told they would receive an offer by Friday. The association's 39 teachers have been working without a contract for the past two years. The state appointed a fact-finder in March to help negotiations. Both sides said they had hoped to reach an agreement by Sept. 1. Fourth-grade teacher Bridgett Carvagal of Bethlehem read a statement on behalf of the association. She said it's been two months since the teachers decided to accept a settlement recommended by the state-appointed fact-finder. "Two months to the day from when we received the recommended settlement, we get an e-mail from Matt Hibbett that a new proposal will be ready within two weeks," Carvagal said. "This is not the time for a new proposal." Board member Robert "Matt" Hibbett, head of the negotiating committee, promised a new proposal would be offered by Friday. Oxford teachers are the lowest paid in Warren County, earning an average salary of $43,862. The average teacher salary in New Jersey is $52,563, according to the state Department of Education. Neither side would discuss salary figures being discussed in negotiations. "I have one general statement to make: Our one goal in negotiation was to try to put a cap on the cost to the taxpayers for medical benefits for the teachers," he said. "We've been addressing this from the beginning." Carvagal said the teacher's understanding was that the issue of health benefits was tabled April 6 and would not be subject to negotiation. She said this issue was not addressed in the fact finder's report. Hibbett said he did not want to discuss the issue in public. He said the board's lawyer had been in contact with the fact-finder all summer. After the meeting, he said there were inaccuracies in their statement but declined to address them. "We met and we have something to send back to them," Hibbett said. "We had to make sure we had the money." As of Oct. 1, the board will withdraw from the State Health Benefits Program and change to a new provider. Hibbett said the board wanted to get the new medical plan in place before moving forward and now it is ready. Carvagal said after the meeting that the teachers are frustrated. "I would say the teachers feel very strongly that there is little or no possibility of having a contract by Sept. 1 based on the statements tonight," she said. Reporter Sara K. Satullo can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at ssatullo@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used with permission.