After back-to-back negotiations sessions this week, a five and a half hour session Tuesday and a seven-hour session Wednesday, the teachers and school board at Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 reached an "agreement in principle," according to the attorneys representing the parties.
"That means we have an agreement that's not yet written in great detail, and we're not going to give you details of the agreement prior to giving them to our constituents, the board and the membership of the union," the attorney for the IU board, Charles N. Sweet, New Britain, Bucks County, said after Wednesday's session at the Maple Avenue Campus.
The IU's 67 teachers have been working without a contract since their last pact expired, June 30, 2012. Negotiations began Jan. 9, 2012. Wednesday marked the 30th month since talks began.
Sweet and Mark Featherman, an attorney with the law firm of Willig, Williams and Davidson, Philadelphia, who represented the teachers at negotiations Tuesday and Wednesday, said they will be jointly writing the agreement.
"We'll do it via email and telephone," Sweet said.
They wouldn't answer any questions about the tentative pact, but Featherman said they hope to have a draft to the parties "in the next few weeks."
"The sooner, the better," Sweet said.
The IU 29 school board has its July meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the Maple Avenue Campus, but Sweet said the contract would not be ready for approval at that meeting.
"I hope it can be ready so it can be voted on by both the teachers and the board in early August," Sweet said.
On June 11, the mediator, William D. Gross, who is the director of the Bureau of Mediation at the state Department of Labor and Industry, encouraged the parties to come to terms and end what's become 30 months of contract talks.
So, the parties agreed to schedule the two back-to-back negotiation sessions held this week.
At 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, the parties met in Room 1110, the administrative board room. At 10:41 a.m., the representatives of the school board retreated to the administrative offices on the second floor of the Maple Avenue Campus, while the teachers camped out in Room 1110.
Gross walked back and forth numerous times carrying messages between the parties.
At 4:25 p.m., Gross was asked if he had any prediction for the outcome of Wednesday's talks.
"I don't make predictions. I talk to the parties," Gross said.
Both Featherman and Sweet said salaries were among the sticking points in talks Wednesday.
"It usually comes down to wages and benefits, and this was no exception," Featherman said.
"Well, there are no sticking points at this point. We're to the point where we don't have any," Sweet said at 4:58 p.m. Wednesday.
"I think both parties worked really hard to get to an agreement," Featherman said.
"For two days," Sweet added.
The teachers are being represented by Teamsters Local 429, Wyomissing, Berks County.