BETHEL PARK, Pa. — The Bethel Park school board accepted a fact-finder's recommendation for a new contract with the district's teacher's union Wednesday night, putting an end to three years of contentious negotiations.
The board made its decision in an executive session Wednesday night, will notify the state of its decision and will formally ratify its choice with a public vote at its committee meeting next week, said district spokeswoman Vicki Flotta.
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The Bethel Park Federation of Teachers accepted the fact-finder's report this week, so the school board's approval means the report's recommendations will form the basis for a new contract, which would be retroactive to 2010 and run through June 2016. The state will publish the report in the next few days, including terms of the new contract on matters such as salaries, benefits and the length and number of work days.
The teachers have been working under the terms of an expired contract since July 2010. A strike that fall ended after six weeks. In 2011 both sides rejected an arbitrator's picks between each side's “best offers” on each issue, and both sides in 2012 rejected another fact-finder's report requested by the teachers. The district requested another fact-finding in August.
Both Flotta and Smith said they would comment further Tuesday.
Matthew Santoni is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5625 or msantoni@tribweb.com.