Palmerton Area School District teachers returned to the classroom on Jan. 24, but no bargaining sessions with the school board’s negotiating team have taken place since that date.

“The Palmerton Area Education Association negotiations team has been told numerous times the board would provide a traditional salary schedule, and we are still waiting,” the PAEA said in a Facebook post Saturday.The two sides last met Jan. 18 with the board telling the PAEA it would provide a proposal with a salary schedule “in a few days.”Earlier in negotiations, the board proposed a contract without a traditional salary schedule, instead increasing the starting salary to $50,000, providing every member, regardless of years of service, a 3.25 percent increase for each year of the contract, and a $1,500 stipend for attaining a master’s degree.According to district negotiator John Audi, the board had hoped to reduce or eliminate a $12,000 jump step, which kicks in for teachers when they have reached a certain milestone in their employment.“The teachers have shown no interest in returning to the table,” Audi said Sunday night.“At the last two meetings, the union has refused to concede on a single issue. Accordingly, the district’s board is meeting this week to discuss its options. All options will be directed toward a resolution of this dispute within the parameters of what the district can afford what is best for the education of its students.”PAEA President Tom Smelas said over 99 percent of Pennsylvania school districts use a traditional salary schedule.“Our members deserve the same,” he said.Palmerton teachers went on strike Jan. 9 after working since June 30, 2016, without a new contract.While teachers are back in the classroom, PAEA said if an agreement were not reached by May 29, the strike would resume at 12:01 a.m. on May 30.Audi previously said the next logical step would be mandatory nonbinding arbitration if there were no movement in negotiations.Teachers, however, are hopeful things don’t get to that point.“It is the hope that the association and district will be able to reach an agreement so it is not necessary to involve and pay a third party outsider to solve what Palmerton people should solve,” the association said in its statement.The next Palmerton school board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 21.A workshop is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.In Monroe County, the Stroudsburg Area Education Association went on strike Monday.The teachers’ union and the school board were unable to agree on a new contract at their last negotiating session on Friday.The school board says it’s trying to craft a contract that won’t require a tax increase.The teachers say they’re seeing equitable pay.