The members of the Groton-Dunstable Educators Association (GDEA) and the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District School Committee have agreed to submit their ongoing contract dispute to a third-party mediator in an effort to finally resolve the contract dispute.

The GDEA had described negotiations to date as “not heading in a productive direction.”  Their members have been working under the terms of the previous contract, which expired in August of 2014.  Negotiations to replace that contract began in April of this year.  The previous contract terms have been officially extended to February of 2015 in order to keep GDEA members on the job while the negotiations go on.

The GDEA has flatly rejected the committee’s proposals so far, describing them as “punitive” and “dangerous.”  The GDEA claims that during the recent economic downturn that affected the town, they accepted changes to their health insurance plans and voluntarily gave up raises in order to help the town weather the financial situation, without compromising the level of education and service they provided to the town’s children.

They further insist that better pay and benefits are necessary to attract high levels of talent in the teaching positions and other staff in the school system.  The hope is that a third party mediator will be able to bring the two sides close enough to sign off on a new contract and avoid any sort of work action on the part of the GDEA that might impact the school year.