Originally, the teacher strike was expected to last through tomorrow with the teachers going back to work on Wednesday.
The attorneys representing the district and the union must go back before a judge on Wednesday. That's when the judge will determine if around the clock negotiating will be mandated.
The State Department of Education recently sent legal documents making both the North Penn School District and the Teachers Union making aware that this strike must end by law tomorrow evening. That is so students can complete the required 180-class day mandate by June 30, 2010. The district signed the documents but the union did not.
Stephen Hladik of the North Penn School Board reacted by saying, "I'm disappointed. I mean, there's no real need. If everyone agrees that's the maximum length of the strike, why require everyone to go to court today?"
But union officials said the teachers had every intention of returning to work Wednesday morning. They didn't sign the document because they wanted to force the district into a court hearing with the hopes of getting a judge to order around the clock bargaining to resolve the pending contract dispute.
The two sides in this case are wrangling over a proposed contract drawn up by a non-binding arbitration panel. The teachers got behind the proposal, but the district balked saying it would result in double-digit increases in the budget.
"We simply want to bring all the issues before the judge to see if the judge would be interested in ordering court supervised bargaining," said NPEA President Alan Malachowski. "We're disappointed that no bargaining occurred over the weekend."
Action News has learned that the union has called a meeting of the rank and file for this evening, and we're told they may vote once again on the district's counter offer to the plan that was proposed by the arbitrator.
District officials have already announced that school year will be extended until the end of June. Seniors, however, will graduate on June 17, 2010.
