Whitehall-Coplay School District teachers marched in front of the high school and along Schadt Avenue before Whitehall's football game against Liberty High School Sept. 19.

The teachers, members of the Whitehall-Coplay Education Association, are picketing for informational reasons.

Many motorists showed support by honking and some students drove by holding signs showing support for the teachers.

The association is currently in the middle of contract negations with the district, which have been ongoing since January. An agreement has not been reached yet and the teachers have been working under their old contract since Sept. 2.

In a statement issued to The Press, WCEA says it feels the lack of respect on the district's part has hindered the bargaining process. According to the association, district Solicitor Jeffrey Sultanik has said the district realizes they are paying their teachers under the market value.

Some of the information the association is making known using the picketing includes that Whitehall teachers are the lowest paid out of the Lehigh Valley's 16 school districts; their starting salary is the lowest and it hinders the district in attracting and retaining quality teachers; they have the only salary schedule with 18 steps (credit for continuing education credits or longevity), while four neighboring districts vary with 14 to 15 steps; and the teachers lag behind neighboring districts in career earnings which vary from $175,000 to $280,000 based on 30 years of service, according to the statement issued to The Press.

To help the district through hard economic times, the teachers took a one-and-a-half-year pay freeze during the last contract.

The WCEA says it would like teacher salaries to be competitive with other districts, but they must understand it's not possible to reach parity in a single contract, which is not something they are striving to do.

The association would like to see some gains that help realize that goal in the future which will help the district attract and retain the best teachers.

District Superintendent John Corby said Sultanik would present a statement on behalf of the school board. An article on the contents of the statement, issued Tuesday, also appears on this page.