Hundreds Of Teachers Union Members Protest At BOE Headquarters

inzelbuch grunhut protestEXCLUSIVE VIDEO & PHOTOS (UPDATED 11:25PM) Hundreds of members of the LEA, the teachers union, protested outside the BOE headquarters Thursday afternoon, protesting the board’s decision to fire approximately 40 staff members, and the fact that teachers have been going without a contract for several months.

“We want a contract we want it now” were among the many chants they yelled as the board attorney and board members passed by. Some even called the members names.

The board responded saying that the issue being discussed.

“The board is reviewing this matter as we speak”, Board Attorney Michale Inzelbuch said. “The Board of Educations wants to resolve this contract dispute with the teachers”.

As first reported by TLS earlier this week, the board gave notices to close to 40 district staff members that they were being fired, reportedly due to under-performance. TLS.

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36 COMMENTS

  1. They there to support staff who were let go, but the primary reason was the boards failure to negotiate a contract in good faith. Teacher have been working without a contract since July 1, 2010. Which means teachers did not get a new salary guide. In fact, te board refuses to move teachers up to the next step on the old contract. No COURTESY for the teachers at the expense of special interest areas I am sure.

  2. well before you go and jump, get your facts right. teachers work extremely hard under extreme difficult conditions. if you don’t want a public school system in this town, get rid of it. don’t bother the teachers. they are workers just like anybody else. they deserve respect and equal pay.

  3. Yes listen to the voice of the people and forget about obligatons to represent everyone even the people that didn’t vote for you. Forget the oath you to as an elected official to perform your “civic duty” to do what is right and is fair to minority as well as the majority. Please do and say what ever your voting block wants cause if you don’t you won’t get relected. What does any first term elected official want? Another term of course!!! How do you secure your second term? By catering to every want and need of your constituents. Thank you for selling out the minority the people that you are suppose the represent too. This is why Lakewood is a joke to the rest of the state and the minority is moving out of this town.

  4. The “protest” had nothing to do with the teachers who did not have their contracts renewed.
    It was a message to the BOE to let them know that they have an obligation to neogotiate in good faith. Not to schedule meetings and then to cancel them! They say they want to resolve the contract, but it’s not what their actions say.

  5. I am sick and tired of these unions. They are the only ones that get the big fat pensions and premium health benefits. I worked all my life for a private company with no pension (and I worked a lot harder than any government employee). I also had to contribute 25% towards my health insurance premiums (which also had a large hospital deductible), unlike the government employees that have the most expensive insurance fully covered on the tax payers back together with decades of huge pensions. Say that a Union Teacher retires at age 60 and starts collecting her/his pension and benefits until 90. Do you know how much extra money is being spent through all those years, without the tax payer getting anything in return? We’re talking about millions on annual basis!

  6. Wow! I am so glad they weren’t my teachers. Is this the way you teach your students to resolve a conflict? No wonder we have such amazing results showing in the news and on our streets.

  7. To number 5,
    If you mean teaching students to stand up for what you believe in, fighting for fair treatment and giving up your night to ensure that the student have a quality education, than you are right…we are showing the students and the community how to resolve conflict. I completely understand how disappointed you are that you did not have teachers like that!!

  8. I work just as hard as these teachers, and I get $21,000 salary with no benefits or pension, and no annual increase, and no paid vacation.. I work every day 9 – 5.

    Why should my taxes go up to pay for these teachers ever-increasing salaries and benefits and pensions.

    I just don’t get it.

    These teachers are so selfish.

  9. Why are we supporting a school system that raises (moderated). It’s time to shut down the public schools in lakewood altogether

  10. Education is not a lost art, But the regard for it is a lost tradition

    Out of all communities, i would expect that educating ALL children would be a priority here in Lakewood, but perhaps I was wrong. Please prove I am right and help negotiate a fair and honorable contract soon

  11. This was a biased report with misrepesentations. For the record, this was a peaceful demonstration with both frum and goyan teachers demonstrating for the BOE to negotiate in good faith. The BOE cancelled 2 meetings with a state appointed negotiator at the last minute. Lakewood teachers come from both communities and support their families without the entitlements that the majority population utilize to supplement their incomes.
    In order for the frum to recieve the public funds for private education that they so enjoy, it requires a sound public school system. Without adequate teaching staff and student progress, state intervention will reduce these entitlements that frum recieve based on another entitlement known as free and reduced lunches. Courtesy busing will dry up under state intervention. The state will also examine how frum enroll preschoolers in public education to access special education and fill the coffers of their private special ed schools. By endangering public education in Lakewood and not attracting or keeping highly qualified teachers, you are killing your golden goose. Lakewood educators are both frum and goyan, not greedy or unruly.

  12. To the best of my knowledge Mr Inzelbuch is the one saving this BOE and the rest are scared to speak or dont know how to be public speakers

  13. To the best of my knowledge, unions are thugs.

    Yiddish or Goyish, all you union thugs are the same. You only care about your own fat paychecks while everyone else is suffering, paying unaffordable taxes to support your bloated paychecks and benefits and pensions that we can only dream of.

    Don’t tell me that you’re doing it for the children. You’re lying. If you really cared about the children, you would allow the Public School System to hire great teachers for $20,000 like the private schools do, and these teachers would be so happy to work for the Public School System and you might actually see a reduction in the crime rate and the drug problems in the Public School System (like in the private school system where our underpaid teachers offer superior education)

    But of course you would only do that if you really cared about the children. In reality you only care about yourselves and your fat paychecks and benefits and pensions. And you want more and more.

    Selfish.

  14. the truth is the attorney is playing two ends against the middle. Lakewood does not have the money to pay the teachers more money. A contract should be finalized if the unions would accept a zero increase for the 3 years and the BOE give back the % taken away for health insurance. The comment made a new board is in place is two sided.
    If you want real change come out and vote,plain and simple

  15. why was the union meeting canceled ?. I am being told the attorneys comments are not accurate and this had nothing to do with a new board. We would like truthful answers

  16. There is money there. The mediation process is obviously at a stand still. The board entered mediation in “good faith” and canceled 2 out of 3 meetings. Obviously there is no good faith to negotiate. Bring on Arbitration, let fact finding process begin and open up the books!

  17. Because we hate unions.

    Mr Union member: Please realize that as we (the country) run out of money, the mood in the country is turning against unions who are squeezing us for every penny.

    So get ready.

  18. Why doesn’t the scoop post how much money the BOE attorney makes. It will shock you all. It’s more then twice the rate of The next highest paid employee.

  19. to #1 & #18- great posts! its refreshing to have someone saying the truth instead of just slander.
    to #9 (“Sam”) & # 14- it was your decision to work at the job you are at. you could just as easily went to school for a degree to teach. dont blame the teachers because they did and you got stuck at a job you dont like.
    and to #29 (“Anon”)- dont hold your breath. (moderated)

  20. To #16. What an arrogant statement! I know you will never see this blog; however, this is why the rest of the Town feels the way they do. I have many, many teachers in my family, and know how hard they work ALL year. It’s not an easy job. From now on, we’re staying to ourselves, not helping, as we’ve always done, and will not be “pushed” out of our homes…sorry…I don’t think it’s the public schools that need to leave.

  21. the lakewood teachers and paraprofessionals are the hardest working people in that town. they work under difficult conditions, with very little supplies, support or respect. they go way above and beyond their titles of teacher/para. they are like these childrens second families. how dare you try to villainize these good and dedicated people. they deserve to be compensated for all their hard work! this board put them thru too much with all this and much more, including having the paras become highly qualified in a recordedly inadequate amount of time. kudos to all of you for coming through!! you are a terrific group and a credit to your profession!!

  22. Since they do share township funding, perhaps Lakewood’s public school population should begin enrolling in the private schools.

  23. To 29

    What the BOE attorney makes is public knowledge its somewhere between 400-475k its what a average lawyer makes you get what u pay for

  24. as i sit and watch this whole fiasco unfold, i must comment, and im sure many will agree with the following; the board of ed is conducting itself in a very transparent way. its hypocrisy, deceitfulness and complete lack of moral fiber that it displays in its everyday dealings is just sickening. they claim to be acting in the best interests of the town and its educational system, but its just not so. all i can say is karma is something that always rears its head upon those who knowingly wrong others. and those who judge others without knowing them should heed a couple important mantras: 1. judge not, lest ye be judged. 2. do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
    keep that in mind lakewood boe….

  25. I have been involved with Lakewood Children since 1986. I have taught them, fed them, taken them home to bond with my own children, tutored them for free, picked them up or dropped them off, and have bought them clothes. I have worked a second job to support my 25 “children”. I also supported my town’s budget for the 12 years before I had children. The diiference: I CARE ABOUT ALL CHILDREN!!!! Especially, the children whoo don’t have what we give my own children!!!

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