The following is a statement from PSO President Rick Scalf, regarding the decision by the Indiana State Teachers Association to end contract negotiations.
I’m deeply disappointed to report that ISTA has walked away from contract negotiations with its professional staff—abandoning good faith efforts to reach a fair agreement with just five weeks remaining before our contract expires. This decision puts labor peace at risk at the very moment ISTA’s own members are returning to work, counting on us to stand with them.
We came to the table in good faith, offering thoughtful, values-driven proposals centered on just compensation, fair treatment, and a transparent, principled workplace.
But last night, ISTA management issued what they’re calling a “final offer”—and is now refusing to negotiate further. Let’s be clear: they didn’t walk away because of cost or impasse. They walked away because we stood firm for their employees.
And what exactly are they defending?
- A tiered benefits system designed to divide staff into winners and losers—an approach long opposed by unions for undermining solidarity and weakening the workplace as a whole.
- A pay proposal that doesn’t keep pace with inflation, amounting to a real-dollar pay cut at a time of rising workloads and living costs.
Our team has bargained responsibly, making concessions where appropriate while holding the line on what matters most. To be met with a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum—one that disrespects our work and threatens our unity—isn’t just disappointing. It’s a betrayal of the values our employer claims to stand for.
We remain committed to working towards a settlement. The question is whether ISTA is prepared to live up to the principles it demands for others.
