Speaker after speaker made their way to the microphone during Palmerton Area School District's board of directors meeting Tuesday night with one common theme running throughout their comments: "We support our teachers."

In the first public meeting since a strike began Jan. 9, students, former teachers, parents and community members blasted the district's negotiating team for not asking the Palmerton Area Education Association to come to the table since the work stoppage began.Much of the criticism was also aimed at John Audi, the Pittston-based labor attorney representing the district during negotiations."He's had a destructive pattern while representing other districts," said Ben Winn, a 2014 Palmerton graduate. "He stalls as long as possible while being paid $195 per hour. Return to the negotiating table without him if need be."Winn said he has been walking with the union on the picket line during the strike and credits Palmerton's faculty for his growth as a person while a student in the district."I can tell they would rather be in the classroom doing what they are passionate about which is teaching," Winn said. "The union's proposal encourages skilled, experienced teachers to stay with the district."The proposalThat proposal includes keeping a salary schedule that the association said is used "in around 500 other districts in Pennsylvania." It includes increases of 3 percent, 4 percent, 4 percent and 5 percent to the total dollar figure of the contract over its four years.The district, meanwhile, offered to give every teacher a 3.25 percent increase each year and start new teachers at $50,000, around $7,000 more than they receive now."We told the district in June that our line in the sand was them trying to abolish the salary schedule," PAEA President Tom Smelas said. "Our negotiators who are already at the top salary step said we don't want that 3.25 percent increase. Give it to the people working their way up. They deserve that."Many meeting attendees, including former Palmerton Area Borough Councilman Jason Behler and current Palmerton High School student Nick Lobach wondered why there couldn't be a negotiating session scheduled without an attorney present."When I was with the borough, we sat down with the union, discussed needs and came to a common ground," Behler said.David Conn, an attorney with Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams, who represents the district, said Tuesday that both sides have professional negotiators."The union has never offered to meet without its lead negotiator," Conn said.Smelas directly countered that later by saying the teachers will meet anytime without their state education association representative.'Palmerton people solve problems'"We want this deal to be done by Palmerton people," Smelas said. "Palmerton people solve Palmerton problems. We have faith in the board that it has an ability to get this done. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be willing to do so right now."While Audi said the district is trying to level the playing field by upping the starting salary and offering a flat 3.25 percent increase to all teachers for the life of the contract, many supporting the teachers feel that kind of pay structure won't keep the best teachers in Palmerton."We will lose our most valued educators because they'll go somewhere with a salary schedule consistent with the rest of the state," resident Anne Cronk said. "I've seen the teachers here come together to make sure a child doesn't go hungry on the weekend or has a coat on their back. They care about students more than you would ever understand."Board member speaksEight years ago during similar teacher contract talks, Sue Debski found herself upset like most of the community members Tuesday.Now a board member and part of the district's negotiating committee, she finds herself on the other side of the argument."Legally board members cannot respond to everything being said," Debski said. "People would love to have a full in-depth conversation, but we really can't. We can't defend ourselves from the misinformation and false news that travels quickly on social media."Debski went on to call the public "ignorant," while later saying she meant it by the true definition of the word, which is "lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular.""Please have faith, trust and understanding in your board," she added. "Let's support each other as we try to do what's best for all."As of Tuesday, there have been no new negotiating sessions scheduled and, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, teachers could extend their strike until Jan. 25.Fact-findingConn said with a clear philosophical difference at hand, he would like to see the matter progress through fact-finding or nonbinding arbitration."If the union believes a 3.25 percent increase is preposterous, it should jump at the chance to have a third party tell the board how wrong it is," he said.Smelas said he doesn't understand why the district wants to throw the issue to a third party."Outsiders shouldn't be making decisions for our school district," he said. "It doesn't do anyone any good."Palmerton schools will continue to be closed for the duration of the strike, but many in the community are urging the teachers to hold their ground."Stay strong," Cronk told them. "Don't be bullied any longer."Archived video from the meeting is posted on the Times News Facebook page,

https://www.facebook.com/tnlehighton.