Teachers in the Ridgefield School District moved to strike following a dispute over a new contract the teachers union has with district administration.
The Ridgefield Education Association, which represents teachers in the district, began their strike on Sept. 9. Prior to the Aug. 31 start of the school year, the union authorized a strike if an agreement on their contract could not be reached.
The union agreed to set Friday as the beginning of the strike after they attended bargaining sessions throughout last week. After a weekend filled with more bargaining, both the district and the REA had not reached an agreement. School was canceled again on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 as bargaining was set to continue.
The union and the district have been negotiating a new teachers contract over the summer. Apart from wage increases, some of which derived from state-level cost-of-living increases, the union has also pushed for limits on non-instructional duties for teachers, an increase of special education resources including staff, and more direction on student intervention, according to information from the union.
“None of us want to be on strike, but ignoring our dysfunctional intervention program, unsafe staffing levels and the need for more counselors when the district has the money to do something about it is unacceptable,” REA Co-president Elizabeth Stamp stated in a new release announcing the strike.
Last week, the district made adjustments to its offer that moved closer to the union’s goals. Those gains were not enough to prevent a closure of schools as teachers went on strike.
School buildings, offices and meal services have been closed during the strike. The district noted in an update that athletics will continue, as coaches are under a contract separate from the REA.
Any missed days will be treated similar to those missed due to weather, the district stated. That could likely lead to a school year extending farther into the summer in order to make up the 180 days of instruction required by law.
The union previously had a strike in 2018 for three days at the start of the school year. At that time, districts across the county and state had taken the action as districts implemented a change in funding at the state level due to a state supreme court decision.
