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St. Johns County teachers picketing all week

St. Johns County teachers are hitting the streets and waving signs all week, demanding changes to the way they are paid.

They haven’t had a contract for a year.

They're trying to bring attention to a big school board meeting that is happening on Thursday at 5 p.m.
St. Johns Education Association chief negotiator and teacher Sally Cunningham said the union has been bargaining since August and declared an impasse in September because the board was unwilling to budge on several key issues.

She said a magistrate ruled in the union’s favor on several issues in April, but the superintendent has recommended the school board reject that ruling.

St. Johns County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Joyner said in a statement:

We are currently in a time period of the impasse process that the Public Employees Relations Commission recognizes as one where neither party should take actions or steps to influence the School Board. Making comments through the media to indirectly influence the board violates the integrity of the process and it disappoints me that the union has deployed this strategy. I will have appropriate comments regarding their request for more money and guaranteed jobs at the appropriate time."

Cunningham said the school board’s decision on Thursday will affect students in the classroom.

“We feel that teachers who either aren’t paid a competitive wage, you know, they have to support their income with a second and third job. That takes away time from their prep time for their students, so it absolutely impacts students,” said Cunningham.

Teachers will be back out protesting on Wednesday and Thursday.

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