Negotiators on both sides of teachers contract talks in Palmerton Area School District have released financial details of their respective proposals as a Monday strike date draws closer.

SalaryThrough its Facebook page on Thursday, the Palmerton Area Education Association said its four-year salary proposal is around $5,000 less than what was committed by the school board.Offers from the district, stated in updates on its website, included raising the starting salary for teachers from its current $43,982 to $50,000.The district offered raises of 3.25 percent per year for every teacher over the next three years, accompanied by a $1,500 stipend for any teacher attaining a master’s degree.“The district’s proposal would pay a first-year teacher the same as a seven-year veteran Palmerton teacher,” the association said. “To address the district’s concern about salary distribution beyond the four-year proposal, (the association) put forth a six-year proposal. (The association’s) salary proposal continues the tradition of acknowledging the dedication and commitment of our professional staff to the students of Palmerton Area School District.”According to the district, the association has asked for increases of 3 percent in the first year, 4 percent in the second and third years, and 5 percent in the fourth year of the contract, with a $12,000 jump step.Palmerton teachers are currently working under a contract that expired on June 30, one that they said included a pay freeze for the 2012-13 school year.At a board meeting Tuesday night, Palmerton resident Anne Cronk questioned why the district is attempting to change a salary schedule that exists in around 500 school districts across the state.Board member Charles Gildner said the salary schedule was “one of the sticking points and something that had not been agreed upon, but there are other things as well.”

Health careThe district said its latest health care offer includes two options. The first features a deductible of $350 for a single person and $700 for a family with copays of $15 for a family practitioner, $30 for a specialist, $40 for urgent care and $100 for the emergency room. That also includes a premium share of starting at $50 per pay in 2016-17 for a single person and $72.50 per pay for family coverage. The per-pay premium amount would increase by $20 each year.A second option includes a $2,000 deductible for a single person and $4,000 for a family for in-network coverage with no premium payment.“To the district’s surprise, the association rejected the very same health care offer the union had previously placed on the table because the policy was to be administered by someone other than a union controlled trust,” the district said in a statement.“While all substantial terms of the plan are identical, the union controlled trust would take bargaining anew terms in future contracts off the table, rates, co-pays and deductibles could not be raised without the union’s consent and a stiff penalty is set for withdrawal from the trust.”The association, however, said the Berks Trust is a management/labor partnership and not controlled by the union. It is utilized by about 20 school districts.“The association presented the Berks Trust as an option that would potentially make millions of dollars available to the district,” negotiators for the teachers said. “The board voted on June 21 to increase medical insurance rates by 9.3 percent, while in actuality the total cost decreased by 1 percent. As in previous negotiations, the association continues to offer increased contributions in the biweekly premium share.”According to the association, with the board’s rejection of the Berks Trust combined with the recent disclosure of a decrease in medical insurance rates, it agreed to maintain the current health care with an employee increase in premium share.“Again, a savings to the district,” the association said.

NegotiationsWhile negotiations have been ongoing since February 2016, the Association said it made an early-bird offer in December 2015.“The hope was that a new contract would be settled before June 30, 2016,” the association said. “A response was never received from the school board.”According to the district, the association has rejected all requests to enter into a fact-finding process and also “emphatically rejected” a request to push back the Jan. 9 strike date.“The district is committed to do everything in its power to avoid a strike with the exception of offering the union more than the taxpayers can afford to pay,” the board said in its Dec. 21 update drafted by its chief negotiator John Audi.The two sides last met on Dec. 20, and a scheduled Dec. 29 session was canceled after the mediator could not make it.The association said it has offered to meet every day through Jan. 8.“We remain committed to negotiating any day, any hour and any time,” it said.