Teachers union declines BOE request

AUSTINTOWN — The teachers union has declined a board of education request to enter into binding arbitration over a dispute in contract talks.

The Austintown Education Association said in a prepared statement Tuesday that it would rather continue talks with the traditional method of collective bargaining. The AEA said it wants to keep local control over its decisions rather than rely on someone from outside the area who is unfamiliar with the community and “the complexities of our language item issues.”

“I call upon the school board to return to negotiations with a sincere desire to achieve an equitable collective bargaining agreement ...” said AEA president Sandy DeCerbo.

The school board is meeting at 7 a.m. Thursday to discuss its next step.