Albion teachers’ union says no progress with district in resolving contract impasse

Editor:

The following is an open letter from the Albion Teachers’ Association to our Albion community:

For too long, the voices of teachers in this district have been absent from a conversation that directly impacts our profession, our livelihood, and the future of our schools. While we have remained committed to respecting the negotiation process, our silence should not be mistaken for having nothing to say.

Having not been afforded a meaningful opportunity to share our perspective during Board of Education meetings, we are taking this opportunity to make our voices heard. Our community deserves more than one side of the story.

Our contract with the Albion Central School District expired on July 1, 2025. After a year of negotiations, our membership overwhelmingly voted down (by nearly 70 percent) a proposed agreement in December 2025 because it did not adequately address our needs and concerns.

Rather than walk away, our members took time to identify what was needed to reach an agreement that recognizes the time our work requires, our required master’s level education, and our professional responsibilities. Negotiations have continued, and our bargaining team has repeatedly returned to the table in good faith to address the issues behind that vote.

At the heart of those issues are time and compensation: the amount of time teachers are being asked to work and the compensation offered in return. After repeated attempts to move these issues forward, and what our team views as a lack of active counteroffers from the district on these concerns, our negotiating team declared an impasse.

An impasse does not mean negotiations are over. It means both sides have been unable to resolve significant differences through direct negotiations, and a neutral, third-party mediator has been assigned to help reach an agreement.

Throughout this process, you may have noticed our efforts to make our voices heard. We have attended Board of Education meetings as a united front, created signs and shirts to show solidarity, and held morning walk-ins as families arrive at school.

We have encouraged community members to explore See Through NY to uncover the salaries of our administration and the overwhelming disparities it holds. We have publicized the NYS Comptroller’s Report uncovering the district operating with a surplus of over 10 million dollars per year over the last three years.

The public deserves to understand the district’s financial picture as our contract is negotiated. Day after day and week after week, we come together as a unit to find ways to make sure our voices are heard.

Our commitment to the children and families of Albion has never wavered. We continue to show up for our students every day. That commitment should not mean educators must remain silent about the time, conditions, and compensation attached to their work.

We believe the district has the financial capacity to work toward a fair agreement, yet we have not seen meaningful movement at the bargaining table. In October 2026, we requested the opportunity to share our perspective with the Board of Education. We were limited to three minutes of public comment, while the district’s attorney had been given nearly 20 minutes and a slide presentation at the preceding meeting. We are not asking for special treatment; we are asking for a fair opportunity to be heard.

Our members are asking for a fair contract that recognizes their hard work, unwavering dedication, and commitment to Albion’s students and families. We deserve fair compensation, professional respect, and working conditions that allow us to provide the quality education our community expects and our students deserve.

After 18 months without a contract, our community deserves to understand where things stand and why we are advocating for an agreement that reflects the value of the educators who serve Albion’s children every day. Thank you for your support, for the trust you place in us, and for allowing us the privilege of educating your children.

Members of the Albion Teachers’ Association

Albion