Strong Possibility of CB Teacher Strike This Fall, Superintendent Says

There is a strong possibility Central Bucks teachers may strike in the fall, Superintendent David Weitzel announced Tuesday.

At issue is paychecks and how much they’ll increase. According to Weitzel, negotiations between the board and the union have stalled over pay raise rates. 

Weitzel made the announcement at the end of the school board’s regular meeting. The current contract expires June 30. 

The Central Bucks Education Association said that it will strike this fall unless the district increases teacher salaries by 16.8 percent over four years, according to officials. The district is offering 11.77 percent over four years, Weitzel said.

In a statement, Central Bucks Education Association disputed Weitzel's math. The raises requested in the next contract are "nearly identical to the salary increases offered to teachers over the last two years," the union said. 

"If CBEA were to receive an offer from the district increasing payroll by approximately 2.9 percent annually, CBEA’s negotiating team would gladly present such an offer to the Association membership and strongly advocate for a vote in favor of accepting this offer," the statement from the union said.