An arbiter from the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will go over the proposed Hermitage teachers contract issue by issue when the union and the school board sit down for nonbinding final arbitration Thursday.

The 165-member Hermitage Education Association requested issue-by-issue arbitration and the school board requested single-package arbitration.

"There was a coin toss, and it's issue by issue," said sixth-grade teacher Paul Estock, who is chief negotiator for the HEA. "We think there's a better chance for settling negotiations issue by issue. We're looking forward to a possible resolution."

Issue-by-issue arbitration allows the arbiter to go over each issue offered by both sides. Single-package arbitration allows the arbiter to pick either side's package, as is.

"At this point, it's only down to a few issues anyway so it doesn't matter much," said school board President Duane Piccirilli, referring to the kind of arbitration chosen. "The real issue anyway comes down to dollars. The wage increase seems to be the major block."

The two sides have been negotiating since January 2001 and the teachers have been working without a contract since July.

Negotiations came to an impasse in March over pay raises and teachers struck for seven days. The sticking point is a district offer of $1,600-a-year raises as opposed to an HEA request for $2,700 raises.

"Even with a (recent) reduction in expenses for the teachers' pensions, we're still looking at a possible millage increase just trying to balance the budget," Piccirilli said.

The teachers strike pushed graduation day from June 5 to June 14 to fulfill the state mandate of 180 days in a school year. If either side votes down the arbiter's decision, teachers could strike again, which could push the last day of school to June 30, the state-mandated close of the 2001-02 school year.

Piccirilli explained that all the facts and figures from both sides will be on public display soon after the arbitration meeting Thursday.

"We encourage the public to come in and review it, just review the facts," he said. "The taxpayers of Hermitage should be heard no matter who they support."

As for the possibility of another walkout, Piccirilli claimed the board and the teachers do not want that.

"I think both sides want to settle. I don't think either side wants to go through a strike again," Piccirilli said. "We have a good school, good administration and good teachers."