Skip to main content
November 13, 2026

Negotiations Update

Negotiation Update – November 12, 2026

On Monday, November 9, the negotiation team from the Joint Operating Committee (JOC) met with the Columbia Montour AVTS Education Association (CMAVTS EA) in an effort to resolve the current work stoppage.

During this meeting, the JOC presented a comprehensive eight-year contract proposal covering the 2025–2026 through 2032–2033 school years. Because the parties are currently in the second year of that timeframe, the proposal included:

  • Retroactive pay for the 2025–2026 school year.
  • A six-year phased path to reach the weighted average (WAM).
  • Annual salary increases averaging 5.3% over the eight-year term.

The CMAVTS EA declined this offer and requested a six-year contract overall, which would require reaching the WAM within the remaining four years. The JOC communicated that accelerating the WAM to a four-year timeline exceeds the district's current financial capacity. The session concluded without a formal written counterproposal from the Association or an agreement.

At the request of the CMAVTS EA, the teams met again on Thursday, November 12. The Association presented a six-year proposal that carried a higher overall cost than its prior offers, which the JOC was unable to accept. In response, the JOC submitted a counteroffer that maintained the structure of its November 9 proposal while increasing the retroactive pay for the 2025–2026 school year.

The CMAVTS EA did not accept the JOC's counteroffer and presented an alternative proposal. Under this counteroffer, teachers would reach the WAM at the start of the 2027–2028 school year, funded through the structural changes recently recommended by the Superintendents.

With the parties at an impasse, the JOC proposed entering immediate nonbinding arbitration, which would allow classes to resume while a neutral third party reviews the dispute. The CMAVTS EA declined nonbinding arbitration.

The Association then offered to end the work stoppage if the JOC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding transfer-of-entity rights. This MOU would require sending school districts to offer open positions to any CMAVTS teachers furloughed due to any potential changes.

The JOC has concerns about agreeing to an arrangement that could impose employment obligations on the sending school districts without their independent review and approval. The sending districts are separate school entities with their own governing boards and responsibility for staffing decisions. Any obligations involving those districts must be consistent with applicable Pennsylvania law and their respective governing authority.

The JOC’s offer to enter nonbinding arbitration remains on the table as a constructive path to resolving the contract and returning students to the classroom. The JOC remains committed to reaching a sustainable agreement that supports our educators and respects the financial realities of our school community.