Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, September 20, 2019
Vol. 68, No. 38
MINEOLA STREET MINEOLA FACES FAIR GUIDE CHALLENGES
NO TAX INCREASE IN CURRAN’S TENTATIVE COUNTY BUDGET
PAGES 35-54
PAGE 6
PAGE 2
Herricks teachers reach tentative agreement
W I L L I S T O N D AY S T I L L K I C K I N ’
Union will hold vote on ratification; faculty lacked contract for 15 months BY TOM M CC A RT HY The Herricks school district and the Herricks Teachers’ Association have reached a tentative settlement for a new teacher contract, school board President Juleigh Chin said last Thursday. “I am pleased to report that the district and the Herricks Teachers’ Association achieved a tentative settlement late last night of the terms for a successor labor agreement to the one that expired last June 2018,” Chin said. The contract is tentative because the agreement has to be voted on by the teachers union and ratified, Chin said. She said she could not comment further. While the faculty’s previous contract expired in June 2018, Herricks Superintendent Fino Celano said in June that state law required Herricks faculty members to continue working under the terms of the previous contract. “Details will be released upon
ratification of the tentative settlement by both the district and association,” Chin said. Celano said he could not comment on the agreement until it was ratified. The board and the Herricks Teachers’ Association have been engaged in negotiations for a labor contract since January 2018. Since last fall, a state mediator has been a third party for the negotiations. The teachers’ contract expired at the end of June 2018. This is the first time in decades that the contract has not been settled by the opening of the school year. While the teachers continued to work under the provisions of the expired contract, scheduled salary increases did not take place. In a May 23 statement, the board said, “This past fall, when it became apparent that the parties were unable to reach an agreement after eight negotiation sessions, a Declaration of Impasse Continued on Page 74
PHOTO BY TOM MCCARTHY
Williston Day turned 41 this past Sunday. At the center of the fair included performances such as this one by U.S. Taekwondo. See story on page 2 and more photos on page 21.
Transparency questions raised over N. Side fence BY TOM MCCARTHY The East Williston school district’s transparency in its dispute with the East Williston village over a permit for a
school fence is being brought into question. The transparency issue arose after a May 7 letter from the state Education Department saying the school district may have to resolve local zon-
ing conflicts despite having a state permit was not mentioned during a district presentation. One resident accused the district of a lack of openness. Continued on Page 75
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