Teachers contract battle in Bucks County calls for neutral 3rd party

A teachers union is aiming to jumpstart contract negotiations between itself and a school district that serves more than 10,000 students in suburban Philadelphia with its request for a fact-finder.

The Pennsbury Education Association's current one-year deal expires on June 30, according to the Bucks County Courier Times, which said the state has appointed a neutral third party to investigate concerns surrounding the negotiations.

PEA spokesman Lucy Walter, worried that "time is running out," said the newly appointed fact-finder will meet with both sides at an undisclosed location on May 5.

A final report from the fact-finder is due to the state's labor relations board by May 18, said David Eckelmann, a spokesman with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. He declined Tuesday to identify the fact-finder who will handle the case.

A fact-finder was last involved with the school district in 2013, the report said. During that time, the fact-finder offered recommendations for the two sides, who then agreed on a five-year deal that was retroactive to the 2010-2011 school year.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal