Norton teachers union says it's still seeking contract after tentative deal unravels

The president of the Norton Classroom Teachers Association on Wednesday criticized the Norton City Schools Board of Education for filing an unfair labor practice on Friday.

"We continue to work in the best interests of our students and membership," NCTA President Amber Wheatley said in a phone interview. "We find it disingenuous that the board has decided to take this action given the tactics they have decided to use from Day 1 of bargaining."

In its filing with the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, the school board said the union presented a tentative agreement reached July 12 in a "negative light" that amounted to a "sabotage effort."

NCTA members rejected the proposed agreement in a vote in early August. Wheatley said the vote was overwhelmingly against the tentative agreement.

Wheatley said the union's negotiation team has met since the Friday announcement and is considering the next step forward in negotiations.

"(They) sent a list of five dates that we're willing to meet and sent (them) to their attorney," Wheatley said.

The union's contract with the district expired June 30 and teachers have been working without a new contract since then.

"We continue to work in the best interests of our students and membership," Wheatley said.

The union represents about 150 teachers and certified personnel.

The board will hold a meeting on Monday, its first since the announcement.

Jennifer Bennett, president of the Board of Education, said Thursday she's hoping the board and teachers union can get back to negotiations.

"We are looking at dates to talk to them," Bennett said. "We are willing to talk again and hopefully get this quickly (settled)."

She said that despite what the board considered an unfair representation of the tentative deal that was rejected, she is hoping for an acceptable resolution.

"Hopefully that will happen soon and that will all be behind us," she said.

Wheatley said the action by the board was disturbing to NCTA members and some in the wider Norton schools community.

"I think the action presented from the board was unsettling to some people who saw it," she said.

She said the union is prepared to continue talks for a contract acceptable to its members.

"From the very beginning we have wanted a contract that's fair and equitable," Wheatley said. "We continue to be prepared to bargain in order for this to happen."

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or Facebook at www.facebook.com/alan.newsman.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Norton teachers union says it's still seeking contract after tentative deal unravels