No Agreement, Talks Resume Sunday

After 10 hours of negotiations, school board members and union representatives are ending the day without a contract agreement.

Ira Lobel, a professional mediator from New York, said that he is asking the full board of education to meet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 9 a.m., and for representatives from the board of aldermen and Mayor Donnalee Lozeau to meet at 1 p.m. also at the hotel.

Lobel said that some "significant issues" still need to be resolved, but added that the hope remains that the a contract agreement can reached one day before teachers will go on strike.

"Hopefully we will have all the players here that will help us to that end," he said.
Lobel came into the negotiations Saturday having had no prior experience with the situation. He said that there remains issues that need to resolved.

"We are still talking," he said. "It's a difficult situation."
--From the Nashua Telegraph