LOUISVILLE: The Louisville Education Association has rejected a fact-finding report in its ongoing contract dispute with the Stark County school district.
The teachers union, which represents about 180 full- and part-time educators, said 88.3 percent of the members voted down the report Thursday night.
“The membership rejected this fact-finding report by an overwhelming majority because the report is filled with flaws,” LEA spokeswoman Angela Emmons said in a prepared statement. “The contract language recommended by the fact-finder is ambiguous at best and will cause the parties to continue to disagree over the interpretation and intent of the language. In one area, the fact finder sends the parties back to the bargaining table which is not the purpose of a fact-finding. If the LEA had chosen to accept this report, we are certain it would not lead to labor peace. The parties would have future disagreements over the ambiguous language which would prolong labor strife. This is not what is best for the staff, students, and the Louisville community.”
Louisville Superintendent Michele Shaffer told the Canton Repository that she was disappointed.
“We believe the draft fact-finder report was fair to both sides,” she told the newspaper.