ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — At a fiery and emotionally charged meeting Thursday night, the St. Tammany Parish School Board voted to restart negotiations between the school district and the union representing teachers and school staff. Monday, a majority of School Board members approved a motion to kill the contract, a decision that the Superintendent said surprised even him.
District leaders and the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Staff have spent the past 6 months negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Pay, benefits, and working conditions were among the matters outlined in the 91-page document.
On Monday, the School Board was tasked with approving or rejecting the CBA. A motion was introduced by District 15 Representative Michelle Ruffino Gallaher to not only reject the CBA but replace it with an employee handbook containing the same language. A majority of members voted to pass it.
In the days after, Representative Michelle Hirstius introduced a motion to reopen negotiations on the CBA. The vote was scheduled for Thursday. On Facebook, Federation President Brant Osborn encouraged teachers and staff to show up in support of the motion.
Thursday night, the first floor of the building was packed. Police began turning people away at the door, which Hirstius later told the crowd was because of fire safety.
School Board President James Braud, who voted in favor of Gallaher’s motion, addressed the crowd at the start of the meeting. He then announced he was modifying the motion to specify a 2-year CBA. The initial negotiation had provided for a 4-year agreement.
Superintendent Frank Jabbia also spoke, telling the gathered crowd that he “had no idea” the board would vote to kill the CBA Monday.
Then the Board called for public comment. Around two dozen people spoke, some growing emotional. “I don’t want to go,” one said, “but you’re not giving me a reason to stay, and I’m not the only one that feels that way.”
After, Board members took turns speaking. Gallaher was not there. District 8 Representative Gia Baker spoke in support of Gallaher’s original amendment, saying the CBA was redundant with state law at one point accusing Osborn of “sowing fear” among members. Other members spoke in favor of the CBA, saying they just wished to have more time to review it before they approved it.
After more than 3 hours, the Board voted to pass the motion and reopen negotiations.
Speaking with WWL Louisiana before the meeting, Osborn expressed optimism that the negotiations would be successful. Though, he said, a teacher and staff strike was still “absolutely a possibility” if a new CBA was not approved by the start of the school year.
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