SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A labor standoff between the South Orange-Maplewood Public School District and its teachers union spilled out into the streets on Thursday, with frustrated educators marching in South Orange and showing up in full force at a board of education meeting in Maplewood.
Contract negotiations between the district and the South Orange-Maplewood Education Association (SOMEA) have been turning sour in recent weeks, with a dispute over pay reportedly among the sticking points.
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The SOMEA has been sharing updates about the ongoing talks on their website and social media pages.
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Patch reached out to the South Orange-Maplewood Public School District seeking comment about Thursday’s rally and the contract negotiations. We will update this article with any reply we receive.
On Thursday, union members were seen marching through downtown South Orange, carrying signs that read “Settle Now!” and “We Are Worthy.”
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Later, several members of the SOMEA spoke about their frustrations during the public comment portion of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education meeting (watch the video below, cued to their statements).
Arun Vadlamani, a school board member who is running for re-election, posted an analysis of the negotiations on social media earlier this week, as well as an update a day later. Vadlamani noted that he was not speaking on behalf of the entire board.
The union questioned Vadlamani’s claims in their own recent social media post.
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