AMHERST — The Amherst Pelham Education Association recently sought to clarify its position on the May 2 Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override vote for a new elementary school, saying that when they urged people in March to hold off on voting until a new contract is finalized that they were neither supporting nor opposing the project.

“As a volunteer organization made up of working educators, the APEA’s sole focus right now must be the negotiation of fair contracts for all of its members,” said Meka Magee, the union president, in a statement. “The contract negotiations require 100% of the energy of the organization and its members.”

The statement was issued after the union suggested earlier that residents not cast ballots at all, whether yes or no, on the $97.5 million project to build the new school, until members of the union reached a new contract with the Amherst and Amherst-Pelham Regional school committees. Though the vote isn’t until May 2, absentee ballots are available and other early voting is underway.

Previously, the union stated that it “urges voters to withhold a yes vote until the School Committee comes to an agreement with educators on a fair contract.”

“After the conclusion of negotiations, of fair and acceptable contracts for all of our community’s educators, the APEA will work to maintain its members’ energy and mobilization to support other community efforts,” Magee said.

]]>