Last-minute negotiations fail, Ringgold teachers to strike Wednesday

NEW EAGLE — After 3 1/2 hours on Tuesday afternoon, teachers decided to call it quits on contract negotiations with the Ringgold School District, saying a strike was unavoidable.

Maria Degnan, president of the Ringgold Education Association, walked out of the administration building and told Channel 11 she doesn't feel the district came prepared to make a fair offer.

Channel 11 also interviewed the district's negotiator, who told us they feel the teachers are demanding too much.

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Both sides say the main sticking points here are salary and health care. The teachers have been without a contract since July and bargaining for a new one for more than a year.

They claim the salaries at Ringgold are so low teachers can't give their all because they often have to work second jobs.

Degnan told us they feel the district doesn't value or respect them.

Carl Beard, the district's negotiator, says he’d hoped the teachers could put off striking until after Monday, when they plan to meet again, but that didn't happen. The teachers opted to strike after they couldn't reach an agreement late Tuesday afternoon.

“When you are talking about $11 (million), $12 million a year in salary, everyone has a different view on how they want to spend it,” he said.

Both sides will return to negotiating table on Monday. Teachers will be outside each district building on the picket line starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Cox Media Group