Amherst Exempted Village School teachers approve motion authorizing team to issue 10-day strike notice

The Amherst Teachers Association announced late Oct. 5 that it has voted to authorize a 10-day strike notice given to the Amherst Exempted Village Schools Board of Education.

“This vote is a vote of confidence in our ATA leadership and bargaining team and our unwavering commitment to maintain the standard of excellence the Amherst students and community deserve,” said Emily Marty, spokesperson and union member of the Amherst Teachers Association, and educator. “The Board needs to commit to a contract that will continue to attract and retain caring, committed and highly qualified educators who support and transform student learning inside and outside the classroom.”

Under Ohio law, a public employee union like the Amherst Teachers Association is required to provide a 10-day advanced notice of its intention to strike.

Now that Amherst Teachers Association voted to authorize the bargaining team to issue a Notice of Intent to Strike and Picket, members can file the 10-day notice with the State Employment Relations Board at any time, and a strike could commence as soon as 10 days after filing.

The Amherst Board of Education has responded to the notice stating its disappointment with the matter.

“We, the Board, just today received notice that the ATA has authorized the issuance of a 10-day strike notice of a potential teacher strike by leadership,” according to Amherst Exempted Village Superintendent Mike Molnar. “However, we have no knowledge that an actual notice with a date certain has been filed and no other information has been provided to us.”

The Board of Education received the first notice of the unfair practice charge filed on behalf of the Amherst Teachers Association.

“This charge lacks any semblance of credibility and is a transparent attempt by the union’s leadership to continue their pressure campaign of misinformation and misdirection,” according to Molnar. “Board President (Rex) Engle’s remarks on Sept. 25 — which are readily available to see online by any interested party — did not discuss, either directly or indirectly, any proposal or counterproposal currently before the parties of mediation.”

The Board stated it was a “frivolous claim.”

Further, the board defends the comments made by Engle.

“Mr. Engle’s comments accurately reflected the Board’s role as stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars and the need for ‘give and take’ in negotiations,” he said. “To characterize his remarks as an unfair labor practice, is absurd and it is extremely unfortunate that the leadership of ATA would ignore both the facts and the law when approving the filing of this desperate claim.

“Instead of focusing on resolving the few remaining issues, they appear concerned only with continuing tactics that are both unfounded and divisive.”

The Amherst Teachers Association Master Agreement expired June 29 of this year and the union has continued to bargain in good faith under an expired contract, according to Marty.

The negotiations session with the federal mediator is scheduled 5 p.m., for Oct. 10, and a rally by the Amherst Teachers Association is planned in the front parking lot of Marion L. Steele High School.

“We don’t want to strike, but our students, teachers and community deserve a contract that values and respects the professional expertise of every educator to support student learning,” Marty said. “We hope that our vote has sent a strong message to the Board.”

The headline was changed at 11:22 a.m., Oct. 9, to indicate teachers approved a motion authorizing team to issue 10-day strike notice.