Saturday Negotiations

Right now:

Negotiations have been going on since 11 a.m. this morning, with the NTU, the BOE, and mutually-agreed-upon conciliator Ira Lobel of New York.

A moment ago:

The NTU filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Superintendent Hottel and Mayor Lozeau, both of whom sent direct messages to teachers regarding contract matters, specifically the threat of dismissal and the use of an online salary calculator, respectively, thereby influencing negotiations without dealing directly through the union. This could be considered a violation of NH labor law.

A clarification:

The strike will be called off only if 1) the NTU and BOE negotiate successfully on a contract, AND 2) the BOA and Mayor indicate their willingness to sign off on it. More definitive action is impossible considering the closeness of the imposed deadline.

Weather Update:
With a forecast of Monday snow, NH is less than a foot of snow away from the snowiest winter on record.

Sports in Jeopardy

If a strike occurs, Nashua coaches are expected to comply with any actions of the NTU; the NTU contract applies to them as well.

Non-contract (assistant) coaches and other volunteers may help keep teams running, especially since games missed due to a strike will most likely be forfeit, not re-scheduled.

This will affect 30 Spring coaches.

Super Says School Monday

Many of you have expressed concerns about a potential interruption of Nashua’s school system next week. As you are aware, the Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers’ Union are continuing to negotiate a contract for our teachers and school nurses. In fact, a negotiating session is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, March 29. There is uncertainty for you and for us because of the strike announced by the Nashua Teachers Union for Monday, March 31, 2008.

As Superintendent of Schools, I believe in the dedication of our teachers in Nashua. I believe that they want to be with their students. At this time, therefore, we are planning on our schools being open on Monday.

But I need to tell you that I will not place our students in a situation of conflict or danger, and therefore I may need to notify you on Monday that schools are closed. If that is the case, I will be utilizing Parent Link, the District's web site, www.nashua.edu, and media outlets early Monday morning to let you know if school is cancelled, just as I normally do when school is cancelled because of inclement weather.

I remain hopeful that a fair contract between the Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers Union can be negotiated this weekend to avoid the announced strike.

This is an ongoing situation and I want to thank you for your patience.

Christopher Hottel
Superintendent of Schools
Nashua School District

Strike News: No more School o' Substitutes

The Latest:

• Hottel has announced that schools will not try to run on substitute staff.
• At last count, under 400 substitutes, college students, admin, and parents had been recruited to act as substitutes.
• There may be an attempt to keep schools open for high school seniors, who need 175 days of school to graduate. With snow days adding up, additional no-school days could push back scheduled graduations.
• After two unsuccessful meetings this week, both sides will return to the negotiating table tomorrow with a conciliator.
  

In other news:

• Today is the District's fifth snow day of '07-'08, along with numerous delayed openings and early dismissals.
  

The Likelihood of a Strike

Current Issue: Nashua Teachers Union (NTU) Strike.

The Basics:

• Nashua Teachers have been working without an updated contract since Sept. 2006.
• A contract must be agreed upon by the Union, then passed by the Board of Education (BOE), Board of Aldermen (BOA), and Mayor Lozeau.
• Three previous contracts have been passed by the BOE then rejected either by the BOA or the Mayor. The third hinged on a $3 million, or 1%, monetary difference, and was vetoed.
• Major issues revolve around retroactive pay of raises and city budget concerns.
• Striking is illegal for NH public employees. Planning a strike is not.

The Latest:

• If no contract is agreed upon, picket lines are expected to appear all around the Nashua District starting Monday, March 31.
• The NH Labor Relations Board has denied Hottel's requested cease-and-desist order against the planned strike.
• Hottel is pursuing further legal action against a strike, including fines & restraining orders.
• Job fairs for substitutes to keep schools running in the event of a strike have been held.
• If parents deem school unsafe without teachers, students can be kept at home as excused absences.

Fun facts:

• Nashua Superintendent Chris Hottel is the highest paid in the state. Nashua teacher starting salaries rank 68th in the state.
• The NTU has 950 members, led by NTU president Bob Sherman.

Contract Details from the NTU: click here