Board President calls for referendum to void CBA

Neshaminy School Board President Ritchie Webb issued the following statement in response to last night’s NFT press release which included information about a confidential meeting with a Bucks County judge earlier in the day:

“When I read the latest NFT press release, quite frankly I was shocked.

NFT leadership has shown no respect for our community, our students, or its own membership, and now they have disrespected a Bucks County court. Judge Baldi requested a meeting yesterday with the attorneys in his chambers without board members or union reps present, just the attorneys from both sides.

It is my understanding that anything said in Judge’s chambers is confidential and privileged information, and certainly is not to appear in a press release several hours after the meeting.

Once again the NFT has shot itself in the foot, and any assistance Judge Baldi could have given to these negotiations has been severely compromised, in our opinion, as a direct result of the NFT releasing these details.

NFT attorney Tom Jennings showed a total lack of discretion and respect for the court by publishing a private conversation occurring in Judge Baldi’s chambers.

This serves as a perfect example of what is wrong in Neshaminy. We have a rogue union who, in our estimation, is led by a rogue attorney, and an NFT president who shows no respect and will do and say anything, including using Judge Baldi to get what they want.

The answer to Neshaminy’s problems does not rest with a Bucks County Judge but rather in Harrisburg.

We are getting very close to an unsolvable impasse and I believe that a public referendum that would allow the taxpayers of Neshaminy to void the current contract is the only solution.

Out of respect for Judge Baldi and his court, I will not comment on what I was told had occurred in his chambers. I do want to emphasize that William Gross, the Director of Bureau of Mediation for our State, has attended our negotiation sessions previously and is welcomed by the Board to attend in the future.”