West Deptford Teachers Ratify New Contract

On the eve of students returning to classes today, the West Deptford Education Association approved a new, three-year contract that now awaits a final vote by the township school board. 

The teacher's union on Wednesday afternoon voted 265-9 to approve the contract, said Joel Robinson chief negotiator during the contract talks, and a science teacher at . 

"It's been a long 18 months," Robinson said Wednesday evening. "We're very glad that it's finally over."

Under the terms of the contract, teachers will get a 1 percent retroactive raise for the 2010-2011 school year. The contract also includes a 2.45 percent raise each school year for teachers in both 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. 

All stipends, such as those for coaching athletic teams or advising academic clubs, will be frozen at 2009-2010 levels for the duration of the contract, Robinson said. 

According to information provided by the New Jersey School Boards Association, settlement rates for teacher contracts statewide have steadily declined over the last six years, with the average settlement at 3.19 percent in 2011-2012 and 2.53 percent for 2012-2013.

In West Deptford, teachers had been working without a new contract since June 2010, the longest period township schools have ever gone without a contract. 

The school board will vote on the contract at it next regular meeting, on Monday, Sept. 12. 

School board President Chris Strano earlier called the deal a positive outcome of a long road.

“Everybody on both negotiating teams worked hard on this,” he said. “Both sides did they best they can.”

Negotiations on the new contract were a 15-month process, longer than either side had ever dealt with previously. Talks initially began in April 2010, before heading to state mediation a few months later, on July 28.

The two sides met with a state-appointed fact-finder in December 2010 and , before .