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| Updated: 2/24/2012 4:42 pm |
Published: 2/24/2012 3:15 pm |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The unions that represent teachers and staff members in the Pulaski County School District have declared an impasse in negotiations over how to cut $14 million from next school year's budget.
The unions notified Superintendent Jerry Guess on Friday that they want mediators to resolve the differences between the unions and the district.
The district was already under state control due to financial irregularities when Guess asked the state Education Board to place the district in fiscal distress because of the projected deficit.
Guess wants teachers and staff to give up a number of previously negotiated agreements. But the unions said Friday that they won't give up all that was previously negotiated.
Guess told the Education Board that he can institute the cuts himself without union agreement.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Response by Dr. Guess:
The Pulaski County Special School District welcomes this interest on the part of the unions to the sensible return to the negotiating table. The union has suggested a meeting date of Tuesday, and though the schedule of our negotiators will not permit that, we are offering to meet on Thursday. The Professional Negotiated Agreement, or current contract, states that both parties together will contact a mediator as a next step, but since that has already been done, we will prepare to move forward.
