St. Tammany Parish School Board votes ‘yes’ to renegotiate Collective Bargaining Agreement

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. ( WGNO ) — The St. Tammany Parish School Board has voted in favor of re-opening negotiations with the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees.

This comes about a week after the school board refused to adopt the union’s Collective Bargaining Agreement in favor of a new handbook.

“I will support it for the employees because they need it. I don’t believe it’s a perfect document. I believe we need to cut out those things that we can’t financially promise, but I understand that you need the security of it,” said school board member Rosly Hanson.

Many teachers and school employees stepped up to the podium, sharing their thoughts on the benefits of a CBA, saying it will bring better wages, benefits and overall working conditions to the workplace.

“Employees want respect, guarantees in verbiage that protects their rights in the workforce. This isn’t an attack on management or the school board,” one teacher said.

“The CBA is a document that establishes an exclusive and formal partnership between the federation, administration and the board and contains the work rights and protections of employees. It isn’t something that includes or supports any political agenda,” another teacher said.

While most of the school board members agreed that negotiations should resume, they also said discussions should be more civil than they have been during prior weeks.

“Don’t you ever come in this room again talking about war! Given what just happened to our country earlier this week, poor choice of words. Please think before you speak,” said board member Michelle Gallaher.

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