Attorney about-face in P'burg Tuesday, November 28, 2006 • By DANIEL HAUSMANN • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | The school board changed horses midstream. The board dumped special labor counsel Richard Bauch and handed the now-stalled negotiations with the teachers union to primary board attorney Donald Morrow. "Donnie's handled it in the past," board President Paul Rummerfield said. "When (board member Chafik Zarbatany) was president, the board did not have a labor attorney." Morrow was handed the labor duties after two failed motions to appoint labor counsel. Zarbatany moved to reappoint Bauch and that vote deadlocked 6-6. A follow-up motion by Kevin DeGerolamo to appoint the law firm of Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt, and Fader failed on a similar vote. By default, the labor issues will now be handled by Morrow. Rummerfield asked Superintendent Gordon Pethick to set up a meeting today with Morrow to go over the negotiations. Morrow was reappointed as full board attorney by unanimous vote at a recent board meeting. The board met privately for 40 minutes. At about 10:10 p.m. Pethick led members of the press and public back to the middle school faculty room where the board was finishing its closed session. However when Pethick led the public in board members were still shouting at each other. The public and press were led back out and could hear shouting from behind closed doors. Ten minutes later the press and public were let in to finish the meeting. During the regular public meeting, Phillipsburg Education Association President Barbara Alderfer pleaded with the board to appoint a negotiator. The board and union reached an impasse over the teachers contract and need to select a date in December to call in a mediator. "I would encourage you to select the lawyer or set the date," Alderfer said. "We're ready to go." The contract is being held up by money, work time and insurance. Former board member Irene Weller showed the board copies of The Express-Times from 1996 and 1997 detailing nasty negotiations between the board and teachers union. "I cut my teeth on one of the worst settlements that ever occurred in the town of Phillipsburg," Weller said. "All I'm saying is do something; get it over with." Rummerfield said the labor attorney situation has not impeded negotiations. In related news, Zarbatany said the state school board ethics committee is scheduled to look at whether Zarbatany, Rummerfield and James Hanisak could vote or interview the labor attorney today. All three have family members who work in the district. Reporter Daniel Hausmann can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at dhausmann@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used with permission.