LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — The clock is now ticking for the Hempfield School District after the teachers' union voted to authorize a strike on Wednesday.
"We do not take this vote lightly because a strike is the last thing anyone wants," said Tony Jannotta, the president of the Hempfield Education Association, in a press release. "We want to engage in authentic bargaining that balances moving towards compromise while also maintaining the strong contract that generations before us fought hard to negotiate."
The Hempfield Education Association notified the school board that teachers plan on walking out of the classroom if a deal on a contract isn't reached by December 5.
“I feel like that speaks to the union’s hope that maybe something can be worked out before December 5," said Beth Lavender, a retired Hempfield School District teacher.
If a deal isn't reached, it would mark the first time that Hempfield teachers have gone on strike since 1984. Lavender, who was a second-year teacher at the time of the last strike, said the effects of the strike could last long after a walkout.
“The bad feelings and the animosity don’t end when the teachers get back in the classroom," said Lavender. "It takes a while to heal that.”
Gabriel Lopez, a senior at Hempfield High School, said he is worried that a strike would impact his classes. However, he said he believes his teachers have a right to demand a fair contract.
“It would definitely affect my school year. But if that’s what they got to do, they should definitely do it because that’s their job," said Lopez.
Both union and school board officials say teacher salaries, healthcare costs, and lesson prep remain the biggest sticking points in the negotiations.
The Hempfield School District released details of the negotiations on its website.
According to the HEA's last offer on October 9, the union is calling for average salaries to increase by 3.63% over the next four years. The union's plan would also see healthcare costs freeze at 11.5% over the lifetime of the contract.
Meanwhile, the school board's October 11 proposal would only increase average salaries by 3.25%. Under this plan, healthcare cost would jump from 8-12% and have a one percent increase each year of the contract.
The Hempfield School District provided the following statement to FOX43 prior to last night's vote:
"Our goal is to reach a fair agreement that benefits both our educators and the community without the need for a strike. We strongly believe that a strike would have negative consequences for students, staff, and the community as a whole."