Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse City School District has declared in impasse in its contract negotiations with its teachers union.
The district filed paperwork March 25 with the state’s employee relations board declaring the stalemate in bargaining with the Syracuse Teachers Association.
STA President Nicole Capsello said she was surprised when she was informed by the district. After the union rejected a proposed contract with 4% yearly raises by less than 50 votes, STA and the district met to discuss teachers’ concerns.
Shortly after, Capsello says, the state notified the union that the district had filed for an impasse.
That means a state-appointed mediator will step into the talks.
The teachers’ union wants to continue negotiating, she told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard on Thursday. However, the district’s letter to the state ’s Public Employment Relation Board says the union said it wouldn’t make any more concessions.
A spokesperson for the district said Superintendent Anthony Davis Sr. declined comment.
The district and union, which represents 2,344 teachers, social workers, psychologists and counselors, had reached a tentative agreement in January, Capsello said.
However, the members turned it down by about 50 votes.
The current contract expires July 1.
According to the district, the proposed contract included 4% annual salary increases for three years. It also revamped family leave time, increased pay for extracurricular activities and athletic coaching, and added one more work day to the school calendar.
Capsello said members were unhappy with the additional work day and the proposed salary increases.
Some were also unhappy the district didn’t want to expand family leave, she said. Currently, the union members must use sick days for family leave when having a baby.
Also, if a teacher’s child becomes ill, under the current contract sick days can’t be used for family leave. In the proposed contract, the union negotiated with the district to allow them to use their accumulated sick days to care for a child.
In exchange, the district wanted to take away three paid sick days, Capsello said. She said she thought the members would agree to that, but they declined.
“They want the district to value and respect them and give them them the time they deserve,” she said.
In exchange for adding another work day to the school calendar, some teachers wanted a higher salary increase. Syracuse city teachers are among the lowest-paid in the region.
Median pay in Syracuse city schools is also the least among big districts in upstate New York, including in Buffalo, Albany and Rochester. Teachers in Buffalo and Albany receive a median salary of around $80,000.
“That’s a sticking point for my members,” she said. ”The district isn’t willing to move us up to be competitive with other districts."
In its letter to the state, the district said the 4% raises would be the highest in a decade and would place starting teacher salaries in the top five of Onondaga County school districts.
The district said in the letter the additional demands would cost more than $40 million.
Capsello said the district needs to retain its teachers and be able to recruit.
Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com