District Breaks Off City Honors Negotiations - BTF Responds

Although the Buffalo School District is apparently trying to convince the community that it is willing to continue negotiations at City Honors, that is not true.

In a letter the BTF considers insulting and demeaning (attached), despite the fact the BTF’s most recent counter proposal to the District called for the parties to:

• Jointly seek the assistance of a Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) or mutually agreed upon mediator to assist the parties in resolving this issue;
• Jointly delay the scheduled legal proceedings and arbitration hearings relating to the implementation of the City Honors School arbitration award;
• Delay any teacher transfers/reductions in force at City Honors School while both sides are in mediation in an attempt to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of this issue;

the District did indeed end the negotiations by calling this BTF proposal “moot” (BTF proposal attached).

In his letter, BTF President Philip Rumore stated that the District has broken off negotiations but is making “an obvious attempt to obfuscate the fact that the District, despite our offer to seek an impartial mediator, has rejected our proposal and has broken off negotiations.”

PR:su