Thursday, November 2, 2017
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YOUNGSTOWN
The State Employment Relations Board has dismissed an unfair labor practices charge against Youngstown City Schools CEO Krish Mohip, finding a lack of probable cause.
In May, the Youngstown Education Association teachers union filed an unfair labor practice charge against the CEO, asserting that the district engaged in “direct dealing” and “public bargaining,” according to SERB records.
Specifically, records show the charge was a result of Mohip proposing to increase teacher salaries by 5 percent.
In May, The Vindicator reported that YEA President Larry Ellis said “no” to the raise on behalf of 518 district teachers.
The raise was 5 percent on top of the 2 percent teachers already are guaranteed by their successor contract effective July 1, 2016.
SERB dismissed the charge from May on Aug. 3, for lack of probable cause, according to SERB records.
Records show the YEA filed a motion for reconsideration Sept. 15 without any new or additional information for reconsideration, which SERB denied Oct. 12.
Mohip said he is pleased with the end result.
The school district administration has not commented on when or if the raises would occur.
Ellis on Wednesday said he had no comment as he had not yet spoken with legal counsel.
But Mohip said: “SERB recognized Youngstown is a different place than any other place in the country, and I think they recognized we have a lot ahead of us to continue to transform the district and are willing to allow us to work under the guidance of [House Bill 70] to continue to put this district back onto a successful path.”
HB 70, commonly referred to as the Youngstown Plan, was signed into law by Gov. John Kasich in July 2015. It enabled a state-appointed academic distress commission to hire a CEO to lead the district. The bill gives Mohip complete operational, managerial and instructional control. He refers to the elected school board as an advisory board.
Salaries for teachers in Youngstown range from $30,483 entry level to $69,275, top scale.