Teachers keep heat on Education Association wanTs board to adopt contract, bring an end to Warren Tech dispute. Wednesday, October 17, 2007 • BY SARA K. SATULLO • The Express-Times FRANKLIN TWP. | The Warren Tech Education Association plans to pack tonight's school board meeting in hopes of convincing the board to reconsider the tentative contract it rejected last month. Since then the association has been imploring the freeholders to exert influence over school board members, each of whom are appointed by the freeholders. Board president Harold Warne said the teachers' presence will come as no surprise. "They are just trying to garner support for an untenable position," Warne said. "I assumed they would (attend) because they like to show up rather than sit down and talk." Freeholder Richard Gardner plans to attend tonight's meeting but will not intervene in contract negotiations. "It's really the board of education that deals with those issues," Gardner said. "The board of ed is there to remove politics from the process and I don't think its conducive for any political body to be involved in negotiations." The association has been working without a new contract since June 2006. The association ratified a tentative agreement in May, which the board rejected in September. Last month the board released terms of the tentative contract, stating that cost-of-living raises were agreed upon at 4 percent in the first year, 4.25 percent in the second and a 4.5 percent in the third plus full medical coverage valued at $13,000. But the two sides differ on longevity pay for extracurricular activities. Association Vice President Joe Delesky explained the group has little legal recourse other than letters and phone calls. "We are trying to attract the most attention to get this rectified without disrupting the education of the students," he said. "We all became to teachers to educate, not to do this." The association hopes the freeholders have been able to convince the board to reconsider the tentative agreement, Delesky said. Gardner said negotiations are not stalled to a point where the school day is interrupted, which would warrant interference. He does believe the freeholders need to be regularly apprised of the situation. "I don't believe it is appropriate for us to be politically involved trying to force an issue," Gardner said. "I don't think the issues are that outstanding that reasonable minds cannot resolve this in a friendly manner." New Jersey Education Association representative John Ropars said the school board wants to return to negotiations but he has recommended moving on to the next step, state sponsored fact-finding. Ropars said no decision has been reached. Reporter Sara K. Satullo can be reached at 908-475-2174 or by e-mail at ssatullo@express-times.com.