The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

November 19, 2008

No word yet on state ruling; Details holding up Brookfield teachers� back pay

By Patrick W. Connelly

BROOKFIELD — Brookfield teachers have been waiting more than two years for portions of their salaries cut by school directors and it appears that wait could be even longer.

The Ohio State Employee Relations Board ordered school directors on Nov. 6 to pay teachers for the money they�ve lost since July 2006 when the board shaved their salaries.

School directors, however, have not yet received word of that ruling, board President Joseph Pasquerilla said at Wednesday�s monthly meeting.

Until they do so, Pasquerilla said the board can�t make further comment on SERB�s edict.

�They make a ruling, but we cannot (yet) put dollar figures on this,� he said. �A lot of variables are involved and they all deal with dollars.�

School directors were also ordered by SERB to reinstate unionized nursing and technology coordinator jobs.

The board cut the positions and the teachers� salaries in July 2006 in an effort to curb costs. The wages were reduced to their 2004-05 rates in a vote by Pasquerilla, Dean Fisher and former board member Steve Varga.

The original decision from SERB came in January, to which school directors filed an appeal.

Pasquerilla said once the board receives notification of the SERB�s decision, they�ll meet with their solicitor and Superintendent Steve Stohla before moving forward.

Paying teachers would have been less than the legal costs incurred by the board battling the case, Sally Schneider, president of the Brookfield Federation of Teachers, said.

The faculty worked without a contract and waited for the ruling instead of going on strike, she said.

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