PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia teachers and school police got new labor contracts this year — but not principals. They expressed that frustration during Thursday night’s school board meeting.
Dozens of principals cheered as their union president, Robin Cooper, addressed the school board. The 1,000 members of the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators (CASA) Teamsters Local 502 have been working without a contract since Aug. 31.
“[Superintendent] Watlington, you often ask, ‘What about the children?’ CASA is asking, what about your administrators?” said Cooper.
Sticking points include wages, a fair salary structure, and health premiums. She said there hasn’t been enough movement.
“We just believe they came to the table already with whatever was leftover, and that’s what we will get. And that is not negotiating. That is negotiating in bad faith,” she said.
Cooper said her members would not strike — principals are not permitted to strike in Pennsylvania — a fact recognized by School Board President Reginald Streater.
“I appreciate you saying that you’re still going to show up and do the work tomorrow and do the mission. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get to an agreement,” he said.
Streater said he wouldn’t comment on negotiations, but he said the district is a family, and sometimes families disagree.
Superintendent Tony Watlington briefly responded during the meeting: “You’re valued and we’re going to get this done. Thank you.”