tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947607097668387126.post891022667944222129..comments2024-03-23T16:06:56.216-04:00Comments on Franklin Matters: Editorial - A sad day for FranklinSteve Sherlockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13070688297607895943noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947607097668387126.post-7751874436991957702011-10-27T10:36:16.886-04:002011-10-27T10:36:16.886-04:00A sad day indeed!
Mr. Zub: My name is Bill Glynn ...A sad day indeed!<br /><br />Mr. Zub: My name is Bill Glynn and I am a current School Committee member. Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts. The ability to determine a consistent fiscal policy is a worthwhile goal. Even though we are elected officials, we (TC & SC) are all town residents as well and respect all of our employees whether they sit in a classroom, in the municipal building at a desk, or in a police cruiser, DPW truck, or fire engine - all employees. To the quoted comment in the MDN from Councilor McGann: 'Do you think it's fair' - me, personally, no. But life doesn't often yield 'fair'. We try to be 'fair-minded' in our actions and strive for the best possible outcomes that are achievable.<br /><br />So, the short answer to your question is that Mass General Law is quite specific about how school employee contracts are negotiated and who is responsible for the negotiation and approval. So, your thoughts are well taken, but not achievable in the manner you propose. The caveat here is that while my knowledge about such things is immeasurably greater than it was 2 years ago when I came in knowing very little, I am not claiming to be an expert on Mass General Law. I'm just giving you the best answer I can on that topic. I will take your question to those who are experts on such topics to validate and if this comment trail is still active, I'll update with that info. If you want to contact me directly to follow up, you can reach me at: bglynnfsc@gmail.com.BillGlynnFSChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14002832571980889672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947607097668387126.post-70082735619096630212011-10-27T10:22:11.219-04:002011-10-27T10:22:11.219-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.BillGlynnFSChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14002832571980889672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947607097668387126.post-70698291208589186942011-10-27T07:53:29.620-04:002011-10-27T07:53:29.620-04:00Here are my thoughts that I posted on the Milford ...Here are my thoughts that I posted on the Milford Daily News article: <br />I think the council was put in a very difficult place, with other departments making sacrifices to help the town remain fiscally responsible, it puts them in the position if they were to do nothing the other departments could rightfully ask for similar treatment the next year which will open us up to far more recurring costs during a time which the town cannot afford it.<br />I wish there was another way that this could be resolved, but there are very few possible choices, a simple reprimand carries no weight and would likely not influence other unions and departments next year, the contract was signed and cannot be changed unless the teachers union wants to come back to the table.<br />I am however torn as I do have two children starting their voyage in the Franklin school system and do not want to see their education sacrificed because of the lack of transparency between the two independent but interdependent boards. I also really appreciate what the teachers do and have seen the quality that they produce with an ever decreasing set of resources (I have and will continue to support overrides for the school system).<br />What is the law regarding school boards and town councils, as an alternative could it be legislated that all salary and contract negotiations must be approved by the town council? Or is that somehow prohibited by law? It would be a good way to ensure consistent fiscal policy towards all employee salaries and possibly could allow the town to restore the 350k while ensuring that this does not happen in the future.<br />I would like to hear what alternate solutions people could see to resolve this in a manner which would be consistent with current economic state of our citizens, town and country.Geoff Zubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14703913214032270915noreply@blogger.com