Let’s start with and acknowledge a contract is a voluntary, deliberate and legally binding agreement between two or more competent parties.  This is what I keep coming back to when I watch and read about the MSAD 75 teachers publicly complaining about their wages.  Their wage has been fairly negotiated and agreed upon by the teachers who participate in the union, which as I understand 40% of MSAD 75 teachers do not find enough value to belong to the union. 

Additionally, I keep coming back to is the intentional poor leadership of the MSAD 75 teacher’s union.  During negotiations, which is in mediation, the union leadership has condoned their members organized actions of publicly attempting to negotiate through the press, social media and during the public comment segment of School Board meetings. 

 This certainly does not pass the straight face test of negotiating in good faith.  There is no question this is intentional; the union has used these platforms to present their one-sided story while the School Administration and Board follow the rules and negotiates at the table.  The taxpayers of the district must remember there are two sides to every story.  We are only receiving one side. 

This Thursday, the teacher’s union and their sympathizers will attempt to add another $600,000 to the $500,000 the School Board has approved in wage increases to the 2019-2020 School Budget during the School District Budget Meeting rather than negotiate at the table.   

It is important for the taxpayers of the District to attend this meeting and reject these strong-arm tactics of the teacher’s union.  It is equally important that if the teachers and their sympathizers fill the house and get this amount added to the budget that the citizens of the four communities reject the entire District Budget Referendum Vote on June 11th.   

Lastly, to the MSAD 75 School Board you have been elected to represent all members of your respective communities.  Should the additional wage amounts be added to the budget you must continue to do the right thing and negotiate a fair contract on behalf of the District.  As you are aware there is no mandate that you utilize any added amounts to the budget, and I suggest you do not. 

The very moment you allow one contract negotiation to be handled publicly you might as well hand every union within the district a blank piece of paper and allow them to write their own agreement.   

David M Douglass Jr. is the chairman of the Topsham Board of Selectmen, however, the opinions expressed here are his own and not necessarily those of the board.