Thanks, what is new (over what the Sun reported)? Sorry if I am missing something major.

I, for one, am really glad to see this detail. Frankly I have had a difficult time forming an opinion about the state of these negotiations as the details were previously undisclosed. I also had a difficult time with the all the bashing that went along both sides of the issue. This is a very clear manner to present the issue and I think will lead to better, more informed opinions. And I beg certain individuals to keep the comments civil and on point. Andy, do we know if the WEA is going to issue a response to this? I really would like to hear from their side why they rejected this. While it may not be the ideal contract to the WEA, it does seem fair to me given Westford's current and upcoming fiscal situation.

I've been on the fence about this issue, and after seeing the details of the latest rejected offer I have trouble sympathasizing with the teachers. I work at a technology company that's feeling the strain of the economy, just like the town is, and as an employee I've had to make a number of concessions for the long-term fiscal health of the company. I suspect many other residents have similar stories. Why should teachers be immune to this?

In the last four years I had one year with no salary increase, and other years ranged from 2-3%. I've had a reduction in my flex time off (which is combined vacation/personal/sick time), so I now have exactly 29 days off from work per year *including* national holidays. If I get sick or my kids get sick, or if I have a personal matter to tend to, that comes out of my flex time. I've had a significant reduction in employer-paid retirement fund contributions. Finally, I've had 5-8% annual increases in health insurance premiums, while my co-pays doubled to $20 per office visit. I could quit, but I've chosen to make these concessions because I like my job and I find it rewarding.

Teachers, on the other hand, rejected a contract that would provide 3.4% average step increases starting next year, fewer work days, an additional personal day, bigger longevity increases, and a small one-time bonus. Plus, their health insurance costs would stay the same.

[rant continued below...]

Seriously, how many people out there didn't see their health insurance costs go up this year??? How many people out there have $5 co-pays??? How many people get guaranteed raises???

Sure, I earn more than even the highest-paid teacher. However, my salary is based on a full work year, 260 days. I'm also responsible for my own retirement savings, no pension here. All things considered, I'm not much better compensated than many of them are.

The teachers need to realize that they're not the only ones impacted by the economy that's been struggling for 5 years. Many residents, who fund the schools, have as well. Many of us have had to make concessions, and the concessions being asked of the teachers is not that great. It's one lousy year without a step increase. Get over it, and be thankful that you have a job for life in a good community with supportive parents and no gang problems. Also, enjoy your extra two days off courtesy of the taxpayers. I'll be at work if you're looking for me.

Haha, I get to stay in $500 a night hotels, expense my lunches, and travel to company owned resorts good thing I am not a teacher, My profit sharing bonus in 2011 was bigger than a middle of the road teacher salary. I think its funny that everyone knows teachers arent the ones raking in the dough but now the economy is bad some of us a jealous of public school teachers. I am glad many companies are still doing great and too bad some of you dont work for those that are not outsourcing everything to China.

Town of Westford NEVER should have created permanent jobs with Federal money it KNEW it wouldnt be able to support even 3 years down the road, accepting this money was a 'deal with the devil' and I agree with the post that called this 'reckless' as we now have bloated our workforce with these positions.
Instead of holding the salary avalanche back by withholding steps (something there is very little precedent for when it comes to teachers in Massachusetts) we should do the right thing and get rid of positions we cant fund as we move forward. All we have now done is alienate our teachers who I thought have always done a nice job.

So I assume when this contract (offer) expires in the summer of 2013, the town would then logically offer 'No Step No COLA' again as i know we are headed toward a worse situation fiscally in 2014?
I am neutral but I can see how we are going to have a problem keeping quality teachers here or attracting good ones with our shoddy finances. Too bad because I liked living in a town with an excellent school system to keep my property value stable. I also worry about what happens when the town loses its case in the MA Labor Board court (as not only the WEA, but even members of the School Committee fully expect) it seems like this is going to be worse for us then getting rid of positions now. The fact we are hiring new positions with all this doing on does baffle me! Can someone explain why the high school is getting new (non special education) bodies if we cant afford the ones we have currently????!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen
You can rest assured that the chickens are coming home to roost.
A 5 year long period of spending, bonding and cooking the books finally has come home to roost, almost. There is an unfunded OPEB liability that the outgoing Finance Director brought to the attention of the 2011 ATM of $52 million for municipal employees.
The $52 million unfunded OPEB liability is now $67 million, yet the 2011 ATM allocated $50,000 to fund the OPEB liability in a reasonable(??) amount of time. A member of the 2011 ATM audience pointed out that it would take over 1000 years to cover the $52 million unfunded OPEB liability. (Wink, wink??)

BTW According to the federal agency that monitors OPEB funding, Westford should have started dealing with the unfunded OPEB liability in 2007. A year here and year there pretty soon we hit a century.

Unless the town can pass a $6 million/year (About a 13% increase on your annual property tax) Prop 2 1/2 override, the WEA and other municipal unions will be faced with many years of no steps, no pay increases and a 10 to 15% reduction in staff. In addition there is a projected deficit for FY14 in excess of $ 3 million that would not be covered by the Prop 2 1/2 override.

It is time to stop playing kick the can down the road and to cut up the credit cards.

IMHO The Town Manager, School Supt., Board of Selectmen and School Committee should resign effective 30 June 2012. All incumbents running for re-election should withdraw.

@Jesse "MHO The Town Manager, School Supt., Board of Selectmen and School Committee should resign effective 30 June 2012. All incumbents running for re-election should withdraw"

I agree with Jesse 100%, instead of placing the biggest blame on the greedy teachers over 1 year of steps, lets look at the root causes of reckless spending my officials in town that helped lead to this mess and act accordingly. its not simply about rising healthcare costs that all towns are dealing with- The problem is bigger than 1 year of teacher steps. The Sky is falling and chickens are indeed roosting in town. I hope the WEA teachers are understanding they are going to make the same money more or less for the next 5 years and better get used to being trashed at the negotiation table. There will be no real negotiations for the future with teachers. Their reward is the privilege of working in westford and getting to implement all the wonderful school initiatives, one giant Utopian PLC

Folks,
Remember the monies for 2012 steps has been allocated by Olsen. Releasing funds opens up the already settled union contracts. Money is there.
Teachers know this and want the money.

Again 21 special ed positions are being requested in the new budget. Do reading assistants count? I believe Mr Olsen should break this down.

I also believe Jodi Ross & co should start looking at plan B in the event the
Mass labor board rules in favor of the teachers. Explicitly identify how to pay for steps AND get the budget to balance.(i.e merging schools, cutting town staff,
reduce town hall hours, reduce library hours, reduce teacher staff.

I was informed by Jodi the meal tax generated ~$480k for 7 months.
I cannot find this revenue in the budget mailed to my home.

Why are we having a town meeting with all the items affecting the budget?

Westford allocated funds for 2012 that included steps for teachers and now wants to 'take back' the money under the premise at the negotiation table the money isnt there to give. In an earlier article on the patch Olson said it was in an account and would be handed back at the end of the year. Please do not say the money isnt there because it is. If I lived in Westford and was told I was voting to allocate money for "X" only to have the town opt later to not spend it on the approved 'X' and use it for something else (not as part of the voted budget) I would have some real concerns. Evidently the taxpayers in Westford are sheep oblivious to all sorts of sketchy financial practices in town going back several years, now the schools are melting down and I think its only the first sign of the situation to come.

Because it is mandated by the ByLaws of the town of Westford. You are correct on the local meal and room taxes but it is my understanding that the money will not be available until after the free cash for the FY12 budget is certified by the state. I have searched for this tax stream under other local receipts but I have not found it.
Plan B is very simple:
For FY 12, the current budget year, lay off 200 to 300 municipal employees by 15 April 2012.

For FY 13 propose a Prop 2 1/2 override in excess of $6 million/year about a 13% increase in the FY13 tax bill. This must be done before the FY13 tax rate is set sometime in Oct. 2012. One problem higher spending rates will begin in 1 July for municipal workers and 1 Sept. for teachers.

If the override fails the solution is more lay offs of teachers and municipal employees.

Jodi may even do away with the bottle water expenditures for town hall or the paying of membership and subscription dues for managers or the 20 or so town owned car that are assigned to special town employees with the town paying all operating costs including insurance. I estimate that this special benefit is worth around $5,000/employee based on logging 10,000 miles. About $200,000 available to fund the WEA and municipal union contracts for FY13.

I forgot the Quinn bill ($388,547 for FY13) and the Westford Special Fireman educational benefits of $96,274 for FY 13. or the well padded overtime bills for the WPD and WFD of over $575,000 for FY13.

20 Westford employees get cars eased including insurance from the town? Jeeezzz, here we are bashing the teachers for wanting their step (but forgoing their COLA raises for 2 years) and some people are driving around on the Westford dime in a leased car with insurance to the tune of nearly 1/4 million tax dollars a year? Jesse any idea of who is 'entitled' to this car deal in town? The more I hear about how Westford spends Money the less I trust our leaders and their decisions. The fact Westford is going to court on a loosing gamble with WEA over steps we have paid in the past is only one small example which had received attention of late but clearly its not the only reckless decision.

In answer to Editor's request
From page 20 of Westford Bylaws

§ 51.1. Annual Town Meetings and Elections.
A. Date and time of Annual Town Elections.
The Annual Meeting for the election of Town officers and the determination of matters as by law or vote of the Town are required to be elected or determined by ballot shall be held on the first Tuesday of May each year. The polls shall be open at 7:00 A.M. and shall re- main open until 8:00 P.M.

B. Date and time of Annual Town Business Meetings.
All other business of the Annual Town Meeting shall be considered at 10:00 A.M. on the fourth Saturday in March, except that if the Board of Selectmen determines that such date conflicts with the traditional observance of a religious holiday, the Board of Selectmen may delay the Annual Town Meeting to a subsequent Saturday that does not conflict with any religious holiday.

C. Notice of Annual Town Meetings
1. The Board of Selectmen shall give notice of every Annual Town Meeting by posting an at- tested copy of the warrant at the Town Hall, the J.V. Fletcher Library, and each post office in Westford at least 14 days before the meeting.
2. The Finance Committee shall print and distribute the warrant* with the Finance Committee’s recommendations and the Town Manager’s proposed budget to all residents of the Town at least 10 days before the meeting.

Do we know if Westford has diligently explored leasing marketing rights to corporate entities (for example athletic fields, auditoriums, locker space, lunchroom table space, classroom walls and bulletin boards, restrooms) to bring in some funds? Many places that are nearly broke as I now hear we are have resorted to this type of advertising to stay afloat.
I honoestly wonder what impact this is going to have on canidates applying to teaching jobs here in Westford that when they google Westford Schools and see all of the 'issues' and teacher bashing that has gone on here on the Patch that will likely reconsider. Why would someone want to come to a place that cant readily pay steps when all other towns are and just as importantly where people they arent valued because feel teaching is an easy part time profession?

Thank you Mr Creegan for your insights!

At town meeting Bill O said he is hiring a dozen and a half new staff positions for next year (not all mandated) because he 'is only looking 1 year at a time and not planning for the future' and the 2014 budget. How is this acceptable? We are hiring teachers we are going to fire a year later. Anyone else see a problem with the reality we keep hiring hiring hiring and cant afford to competitively compensate the staff we do have all ready? If the situation was messy this year its a tinderbox just smoldering as far as next year...

Let the layoffs begin !!!

This is how the good people, and school staff, of Littleton work out whats best for everyone. Are you listening WPS ?

http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_20362421/teachers-contract-saves-jobs-littleton?IADID=Search-www.lowellsun.com-www.lowellsun.com

Littleton teachers did forgo steps one year in EXCHANGE for 2 steps the following year (2014), for those crediting LPS teachers know that our teachers would likely accept no step in one year for 2 steps the next year but WPS isnt making a similar 'fair' offer here. Westford has opted to play hardball instead of be reasonable like Littleton and the result will be Westford will be forced to pay steps with backpay next year by the MA Labor board and will REALLY be in the red in 2014...

Dick!!!
Why do you pick on teachers?
If you bothered to read the expanded town budget, you would realize that you have individuals with little more than an advanced high school diploma pulling down over $100,000/year.
Why should teachers who spent many years in obtaining their excellent educational credentials, who have the future of Westford's children in their hands, and are under ever increasing pressure to have children with minimal talent or desire attain perfect SAT scores, have to live in penury?
So you and town officials dine at the Gibbet Hill in Groton?
Or live in your MacMansions?
Or drive BMWs at 100 mph via the Town Common?

There are people who HOPE teachers will refuse to coach sports next year allowing WPS to simply cut sports from the school system and from the budget. Work to rule is likely returning before long and one can only imagine what shape it will take in year #2 w/no teacher contract in place.

Jesse James,

Your "bylaws" answer says nothing. You posted the bylaws, it's very long but u seem to know it so just cut & paste the part that applies.

Littleton teachers are skipping steps for 1 year, but put back on schedule next year. I.E. a 10 year teacher this year being paid 9 year salary. Next year though they will be an eleven year teacher paid 11 year salary. Loss of one year.

Westford acts like they are offering the same deal, read the very clear print. Same scenario, 10 year Westford teacher being paid 9 year salary this year. Next year Westford wants to pay the now 11 year teacher as a 10 year teacher, a year behind permanently. They lose 1 year, & 1 year's step the rest of their career. Let's assume a $1k step. Littleton teachers r forfeiting $1k. Westford teachers r forfeiting $1k every year. Good job by the school committee painting Westford teachers as unreasonable, but shame on them & the people who jump on the bandwagon w/out the facts.

Steps were in the APPROVED budget this year,but not paid? I thought they were thinking one year at a time? They're hiring new positions for next year. They have stimulus $ jobs they knew would shortly be unfunded, now they want the teachers to fund it. All these budget problems are put on the teachers, and no one can give a reasonable answer as to why. Anyone?

How does Bill Olson emerge from this budgetary fiasco unscathed especially as he comes from the budget/finance side of education? Anyone Anyone Anyone?
Its been said here before and it serves to be said again. A Contract with No Steps is UNRATIFIABLE by Westford teachers (as it would be by teachers anywhere as steps are how teachers are brought up to a professional salary for teachers and are NOT raises per se in the field of education)

I think the SC is in for a rude awakening once legal issues are settled. Having dealt with contracts most of my life, their interpretation of the "continuation" w/o rattification article (and the reason they are withholding agreed upon and approved steps) is pretty "out there"

They are playing fast and loose with details that are legally binding and I bet that if and when the gavel comes down saying the teacher's treatment was illegal, and they are perhaps forced to pay retroactive steps......another teacher lynch mob will be formed. An even uglier one.

And for what, for the teachers being in the right legally? For asking for what the town budget approved to pay them? For not accepting a contract that the SC tries to pass off as comparable to surrounding towns, but in reality is a terrible deal and from what I can find, unprecedented? The Westford property tax payers are upset because they may have to support the increasing education costs for the school system. Considering that the budget shortfalls are elsewhere I understand why they are peeved.

But the teachers, an infinitely smaller group, are expected to absorb many of the shortfalls and just shut up and take it.

I think the games and smoke screens the SC is using is going to backfire in a big way and delaying the inevitable is just going to make it so much worse. The only terrible performance I've seen is from the SC....sheesh.

And the SC, Super, and even some of the more aloof building principals think their teachers are just happy with rose colored lenses over their eyes instead of angry, feeling insulted and certainly not valued by the 'town leaders'. The Super is taking one for the team by leaving his $2,000 bonus on the table (against a $180,000 salary) when the town expects a teacher making $38,000 to leave their $2,000 step every single year they teach.
If I had young children in the system right now I would be very concerned about how this is playing out as this town really did have a fantastic educational system....

pt1

Many don't think @ that Dan. I've been guilty of it. You think a certain job isn't like others, they have it better, all pros, no cons. It's not, there is always bad to balance out the good. But people don’t think of T’s as people, with feelings. But this whole ordeal, the media coverage or lack thereof, depending on what suits their agenda, disparaging comments about any actions they take to bargain, and all the half truths or missing pieces that cast them in a bad light. How is anyone who is not a robot supposed to walk away from that without feeling like garbage. They work very hard, doing a difficult job and instead of recognition or appreciation, they are brought to the stalks to have whatever fruit or vegetable that is in season thrown at them. “It’s time they rejoin reality” “The taxpayers can’t afford the exorbitant compensation they get” “Take a private sector job and see what it’s like” Everyone saying those things are like Parrots stuck on repeat. They don’t know what it’s like, either that or they are intentionally misleading. The morale is at an all time low, and bad morale is a germ it just transfers with every interaction. Expecting the teachers not to take it personally is expecting them not to be human. Here is a couple reasons why....

pt2
Yes teachers work @ 10 weeks less than many regular jobs.(at the outside) If you take a comparable job (i.e. requires a masters) it's less. On another board someone said teachers work "on average" (makes it sound like he researched it) 22 weeks less than regular folk. Horrible math (& no common sense)
Westford T's contract is 185 days. Realistically it's quite a few more. To avoid arguments well use the contracted 185.
Assuming a M-F job 52 weeks a year = 260 work days, a 75 days/15 week difference, substantial. This is where the # crunching usually stops. 15 weeks. Alright, let's count. Most adult jobs 5 veteran employees get 15 paid vacation days, starting @ 5-7 weeks accruing more as time goes on.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryv/g/paid_vacation.htm

That average does not appear to filter educational/job status. So we're at 245 days. Remember you get paid to stay home those days, teachers don't. Sort of anyway, what I mean is those days don't count towards the 185.
Most places of recognize @ 10-11 holidays which vary by location. Massachusetts has 14 legal Holidays. If you aren't getting them off, you are legally supposed to be paid Holiday rates. Teachers don't have a time and half or double time option & their vacations (I think all of them) coincide w/existing Holidays. I'm calling it 11 days because I've worked with hundreds of companies in my work & most give two days for Thanksgiving, I did the math and it's 4 to 1.

pt3
So 245-11= 234. Above that people usually get 2-4 personal days. Let's say 2, we're down to 232. (We r leaving sick days out of it at the moment, I'll get to it in a bit) 232-185 = 47 days/9.5 weeks. My last private sector job the difference was 7 weeks. Now don't get me wrong, it's the ultimate perk imo. I'd do anything to have that. Anything except 6 years of college, the debt & dealing w/a classroom of 20+ kids & 40+ parents. I'll pass. If you want those perks, put in the work and get em. "Teaching in Westford is easy" b/c of the upper class people who put a lot of emphasis on education. Kids walk in already taught, easy job for the T's. WRONG. Those parents of which Westford has many, are the ones wanting detailed updates, phone calls, emails (sometimes daily) Challenge my child more, go beyond the curriculum, extra homework, extra projects, more books, harder books. WAY beyond the normal spectrum of that grade. Then the other end of the spectrum teachers are expected to be parents too. People think the job is kids, a lot of time and effort is parent related. THE VAST MAJORITY of Westford parents are great, understanding & cooperative. Working w/40+ parents of different backgrounds, cultures & expectations, that alone is a taxing job. It happens outside that 9-3 dream that people imagine & requires a lot of time & energy,& careful communication as parents are inherently protective (& should be) & that's a tightrope I couldn't walk, hell they deserve hazard pay.

The SC has put in the town in a bind because it says it cant pay steps and therefore broke the law by not honoring them although obligated to, which in turn will open the town up to having to pay them (with back pay) next year as well as possible punitive monetary damages when that suit is filed soon thereafter as well.
The town should have simply cut the programs that it now clearly cant afford to continue with rather than take reckless shots in the dark with how they would 'negotiate' with their teachers. That is going to end up hurting the town worse then simply honoring the steps and making some cuts (goes without saying NOT hiring new positions for FY2013!!!)
Virtually NO district in the state expects in teachers to forgo steps but somehow Westford thinks it can play be whatever rules it wants, I am glad trash pick up is a priority in a town that is supposedly so deep in the 'red' but somehow how money for this luxury service.

I agree the super needs to be held accountable for this, but also have to say that only in the wonderland of unicorns and educators are annual increases in pay not regarded as raises in pay.

@Dan D: MA Labor Law often requires parts of a previous contract to be honored when both parties are 'not working under a new contract'. One such provision is that steps (for those that it applies, remember any teacher with 14 years of experience if 'off step' or on 'top step' and this doesnt apply) are honored as they existed under the old contract - all language and requirements of employees remain unchanged even if there is no newly ratified contract- therefore meaning no assumed COLA increase but withholding steps (as Westford did) is a violation. This is not Mass General Law but law specific to contract in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the violation of this requirement which our SC decided to play bluff with and they are going to have their bluff called in court where they will have to ante up and then some....

If the teachers feel they are going to win then why the huge PR push here? Let's just wait for our court date and move on.

Dan D.

It's not a "law" as I think you are inferring, it's breach of contract of a legally binding document. This is directly from the contract:
ARTICLE XXI DURATION
This contract is effective on the date of execution and shall remain in full force and effect until August 31, 2011 and from year to year thereafter unless either party notifies the other party prior to December 1, 2010, or any December thereafter, of its desire to terminate or modify this contract. Such notifications shall be by Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested.

It is my understanding those termination requirements were not met by the SC, therefore the existing document remains the defacto contract, clearly outlining steps. Westford is withholding steps, thats a breach of contract. The requirement has a December window of the previous year. But the SC could try to be sneaky, playing on the vague nature of how much notice is required. Ie if they decided to fulfill those Dec requirements this passed Dec 2011 they still possibly breached contract as it was in effect thru 8/31/11 Teachers pay schedule runs like the school year how it finishes is irrelevant for now. I believe Westford teachers were contractually required to start @ end of August. Contract says payment will start in September, again it's vague but I don't believe you can require them to work Aug 29 but pay them like the did it Sept 1. I think steps were withheld from the get go where there should have been a day or two at new step.

Tom, From what I can see/hear/read the School Committee has been more behind the 'huge PR push' then WEA but since there is no way to prove this who knows. The info above released in the article seems like the single biggest PR push in the past year as far as I am concerned so I would suggest that the town is the one most anxious - nervous (and for good reason) when the impending court orders and possible awarding of damages

That may be true but if the teachers know they will win why dont they just sit and wait without all this bluster? Why the wearing of black, why the work to rule why all the threats. They can just patiently wait and they will get what they want. And then if the town loses the layoffs will begin. It seems simple. What am I missing?

If anyone has anything concrete pertaining to any of what I just said I would sincerely like to read it. But if they can't "pretend" you worked Sept 1 instead of Aug 30 (I know I can't with my employees in MA) and they were not paid steps, that shows that even though the budget which included teacher's steps was approved, the SC never planned on giving them, even when they clearly had to.

Jesse James mentioned precedent from 1970-1990 where contracts blah blah blah. I work with contracts in the here and now, and never see a continuation clause that wasn't a defacto renewal w/o set start/end dates. Posting about 22 year old contracts has absolutely nothing to do with the situation here.

It's all above, black and white. Did SC send notice in Dec 2010 or not? Did they think they could shirk their obligational steps for 2011-2102 and not give notice till Dec 2011 which is 3 months after they breached the contract? Notice in Dec 2011 would apply to 2012-13 school year. If that is their argument they will have a hard time in court. And finally about requiring teachers to start end of August 2011, and the contract still in full effect, were they paid steps for at least those days? Pretty easy answers for SC to find and give, and it all hinges on that. But in my opinion, barring written notice in Dec 2010, legally they are dead in the water. Someone give me an argument otherwise?

Why is the town not pressing SC for these answers.

Tom,
If you read some of my posts about what has been said to & about the teachers, how they are being treated by the SC & news print. The impropriety is on the part of the teachers for wearing black?
I've not seen any threats so there you may have to enlighten me. The work to rule? So the teachers response to 1.Town/SC etc renegged on the steps they agreed upon. 2. The $ for it was in the approved budget and supposedly still there, i.e. not been used elsewhere. I've read that quote, trying to find it now. 3. The offers the school committee has put out are totally unreasonable, I've read them. The ones the teachers put forth in my opinion were FAR too kind, got rejected anyway. 4 The media portrayal is full of half truth and lies. Glaring omissions of fact that conveniently paint the teachers unreasonable.
In return, the teachers agree to just fulfill the contract obligations (something the town isn't) I see no bluster, I see controlled response.
As to point 4. above case in point- The recent offer the SC put forth was reported on as comparable with the concessions other towns have made (littleton specifically) the feel of the story is that "once again, westford teachers are unreasonable and uncooperative" I posted it above, you can google for more details but the difference in these "comparable" offers (I don't have the steps in front of me) but I can say with a fair amount of certainty over $20,000 per teacher. It's amazing what you can print and get away with.

Jesse said: It is my understanding of the facts that the Westford School Committee did notify the WEA of wanting to modify the contract by 1 Dec 2010. The modifications were not steps, etc. Where is the Beef?

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying they didn't. What I want them to say whether they did or didn't? They freely release all kinds of other details. Or at least hear from someone with credible connections whether they did or didn't?

If they did, they did the town budge include steps? You're saying steps weren't originally part of it, that would explain it, except did they pay steps for the couple days teachers had to come in while the contract was still in place? I employ people so I know bit's and pieces of what an employer is required to do, and I'm pretty sure the contract can't require any work before September 1 w/out paying steps for at least those couple days. THe contract says pay starts in September. I pay Salary too so I know that means they teachers will start getting their pay in September. But legally you can't say you need to come in starting Thursday and Friday, Aug 30 and 31 which I thnk would be at new step, and pretend they worked those days in september so you don't have to pay step. Unless those days were included in the lump sum check at year end, which I may be able to find out.

Thomas Aquinas, all those companies and PTO days r irrelevant.Teaching jobs existed back then too. & unless the jobs you mention required a master's degree it's even less relevant. People keep comparing apples & oranges. No one compares compensation packages of a laborer & engineer, nurse & waitress, MBA's vs bartender. But teacher w/same degree have their pay & benefits compared 2 whoever. I'm self employed. I work @ 2 hrs a week from home. Is that unfair? Never even applied 2 college. I built the business from the ground up myself. Marketing, financing, legal & labor. I invested many years & $$ 2 get myself 2 the point that my work is a few emails/phone calls a week. Teachers got nothing on me. Is that unfair? What's different @ teachers?
20% of private sector still offer pensions, here's 17 for u
http://reason.com/blog/2010/08/20/only-17-fortune-100-companies
U want a pension go get one. Id love 2 see ur face when they tell u all your social sec. contributions...not urs anymore. Oh & the gov isn't paying half ur pension like SocSec. SS keeps MILLIONS of teacher's $. None of the pension vs SS complaints say that though. U want summers off? Spend @ $70k minimum, get a masters & teach. Remember u start @ $48k year,11% immediately put to pension, got family? $6k for insur. Now its $37k, u haven't even paid taxes or union dues yet. Leaves @ $550 a week 2 live on & pay loans, u don't need the $1720 step,or the $23k lost over the next 14 yrs. But hey,at least ur appreciated

For those thinking they get a raw deal by teachers having pensions

http://georgetown.massteacher.org/Pension%20FAQ.pdf

....it's actually the pension people who contributed to Social Security all those years and never get it back who get the raw deal from you. Jobs with pensions still exist, even in private sector, u can try get one too.

For those who think Westford teachers should give more concessions, for the love of the job

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2011/06/06/the-best-and-worst-masters-degrees-for-jobs/

And finally for those who think budget shortfalls should be made up by the teachers. Budgets showing town officials pay (google it and see where they fall ;) Some of their assistants make more than 5 yr teachers.

2011- http://www.westfordk12.us/pages/Budget/docs/FY2013SchoolCommitteeBudget.pdf

Read the bottom two sections http://westfordk12.us/pages/Budget/docs/FY13WPSBudgetPublicHearing.pdf

2013- http://www.westfordk12.us/pages/Budget/docs/WPSFY11Budget.pdf

http://www.wickedlocal.com/westford/news/x1184532375/Top-salaries-paid-to-town-employees#axzz1s8UcTith

Thomas Aquinas: Lowell among the top 10 high teacher salary systems.

Lowell manages top 10 teacher compensation & Westford can't even maintain bottom 30%? Higher salary in Lowell, a 75/25 insurance split (60/40 here) Lowell is a poverty stricken failure, I grew up there, & Westford can't compete. Why? It's not because of ur teachers. No one seems 2 remember they've made concessions previously, seems it was for nothing. Budgets r online go see where your $ is going. Imo a lot aren't "needs", some is straight fluff. That sends a powerful message 2 the teachers. "We don't value you, you are low priority to us" Times r so tough, (other towns manage just fine) we all need 2 make concessions yes? I don't see changes in town spending, officials raises, still free trash pick up. If Westford had a 1 time surcharge property tax big enough to cover every penny, even 100% of the debt, on average tax payer would pay less than whats being asked of the teacher. I posted math above, only teachers not struggling are top pay, thats not most. What would be the difference between 60k teachers $ & 60k regular citizen? Don't give me the "my tax $" line.I dont' use the schools but pay same property tax, I don't have kids but pay family insurance rates. But I don't throw it in people's face each time the subject of $ comes up. Westford taught the teachers sacrificing gets you nothing. All they wanted was 2 return to normal step schedule after giving u $1720,not a year behind losing $1720 yearly