northwesternlehighDear neighbors and community members:

I hope you and your family had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. I know you realize by now collective bargaining is a highly sensitive, complex and emotional topic.

As a lifelong member of this community and a former student of both Weisenberg Elementary and Northwestern Lehigh High School, I am deeply saddened by the amount of misinformation being spread by a few individuals.

It is truly a honor, privilege and great responsibility to serve as an elected member of our school board.  Without any hesitation, I can honestly tell you the members of your board are some of the most caring, dedicated, and passionate individuals I know…and within each of them is a heart of Tiger gold!

Rather than speaking to rumors or email blasts, let me provide you with some information that is appropriate and accurate.

First, the negotiation teams for the school board and the teacher’s association have been working for many months to reach mutually agreeable terms of a new contract.  The teaching staff has been working without a new contract since the previous one ended on June 30, 2009.  Unable to bridge the impasse that exists, the board’s negotiation team initiated the request for the parties to submit to fact finding.  This is an standard procedural element of the collective bargaining process that is outlined in Act 88 of 1992 (Act 88) and the Public Employee Relations Act (PERA) .

The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB), the state assigned agency for this process, appointed the fact finder for this case. The school board had no control, nor input, in the selection of the PLRB’s appointed fact finder.  The board and association presented their positions and documentation at a hearing that was held on November 5, 2009 at the district.

The school board received a copy of the fact finder’s report late in the evening on November 18th during our regularly scheduled meeting.  Upon receipt of this report, both the school board and association had 10 calendar days to take official action on it (either accept or reject it in full only).  It was discussed that additional time would be needed to fully review and analyze the contents and impact of the report within this 10-day deadline of November 28th.

The Board scheduled an extra meeting for November 25th to take official action.  This decision was based on many factors including: allowing additional time for data and statistical analysis, the deadline for required action, public meeting advertising requirements, Board members’ schedules, and the impending holiday.  I assure you, the implication that this date was somehow chosen as “suspect” is totally inaccurate, unfounded and completely unwarranted.

The Board did meet in Executive session prior to the meeting on November 25th.  The vote to support or reject the findings was required to be decided in a “single, non-exclusionary” fashion, despite its vast array of information and compounding complexities.

As  you may know, the Board voted to reject the report on a vote of 6 to 3…and  I did vote to reject  it.  At this time, the PLRB has released the details of the fact finder’s report to the public.  You may view a copy of the report below.

Despite what may be perceived from a “no” vote — I am truly respectful and appreciative of the collaborative roles our entire staff invests in our children and our schools to promote a lifetime of excellence through learning.  And I remain committed and focused to seek a fair and equitable solution for all stakeholders.  Rest assured – every student will always remain close to my head and heart throughout this process.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Paul C. Fisher, Jr.

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