AMHERST — A short time after the school day ends on Friday, members of the Amherst-Pelham Education Association are staging a rally outside the Amherst Regional Middle School calling for a fair contract.

With teachers, counselors, paraeducators and clerical staff working under the terms of a contract that expired last July, and mediation with the Amherst Regional School Committee continuing, the action near the central administration office comes in advance of the latest mediation session and follows continued calls from some in the community to get a new deal in place.

In a statement, Claire Cocco, a middle school teacher, outlined some of the concerns in a community that prides itself on educational values, high standards, and a wide range of opportunities for students. Cocco notes that paraeducator, clerical and teaching positions are remaining unfilled, turnover is high and instability is not good for children.

“For several years, Amherst School district cost-of-living raises have barely kept up with inflation rates and rising costs of health care,” Cocco said. “Over time, demands on educators have risen. The profession is more intense than it has ever been. The country is facing a teacher shortage.”

At this week’s Amherst Regional School Committee meeting, which began following a nearly two-hour executive session, Carol Gray of South East Street presented a petition with about 260 signatures calling for fairly paying teachers and returning to face-to-face-negotiations.

Gray said Amherst and regional teachers are making $30,000 to $40,000 less than those working closer to Boston, and that base salary for teachers in Northampton, a comparable school district, is $48,135, nearly $4,000 higher than the $44,254 paid in Amherst.

Gray said the school committee has been making an “insulting offer” that, even with cost-of-living adjustments, would mean a pay cut based on the rate of inflation. “It is not the case that there are not adequate funds to meet the teachers’ proposal,” Gray said. “It is simply a matter of priorities.”

Allegra Clark, another parent of children in the schools, said mediation and the teachers working to rule and not having a contract is taking its toll, and a dignified resolution is needed. “I am hopeful that the regional committee will reengage with face-to-face negotiations with the union,” Clark said.

Amherst School Committee Chairwoman Allison McDonald said the difficult contract negotiations are coming during a challenging budget season where a dozen or more positions are being lost at the elementary and regional schools.

She also said mediation has accomplished more than face-to-face negotiations did using interest-based bargaining.

“We’ve made more progress in mediation than we were able to make in the many months of bargaining without the help of a mediator, reaching tentative agreements on some non-compensation-related items and seeing some movement on compensation-related items,” McDonald said.

That progress includes that the union’s total ask has been reduced to around $2 million, $1.2 million in cost-of-living adjustments and other compensation changes totaling around $800,000. The School Committee, in turn, has increased its total offer for this year by around $80,000 to more than $900,000 in pay increases.

Before the vote, Amherst representative Peter Demling said that the four regional towns, including Shutesbury, Pelham and Leverett, would need to adopt a custom assessment method and have each town contribute significantly more to meet the demands of the teachers union.

As mediation continues, Demling said the community should understand the constraints posed by a finite amount of money available.

“I’m really tired of the characterization that the reason why the School Committee and teachers union can’t come eye to eye on the financial level is a lack of value and respect,” Demling said.

]]>