Two locals in the Onteora school district are standing together to win decent contracts. They are pressuring their school board and administration, strengthening their ties with the community and keeping union members active and informed.

The locals, the Onteora Teachers Association, led by Corey Cavallaro, and the Onteora Non-Teaching Employees Association, led by Kimberly Raszcewski, have both been without new agreements since June 2008.

The NYSUT educators, about 85 percent of whom live in the Ulster County district, are committed to their schools, which serve the Catskill towns of Woodstock, Phoenicia and Boiceville.

The district has had five superintendents in six years, has twice changed negotiating attorneys and has had four school board members resign in the last two years.

The locals have picketed outside board meetings and have opened a crisis center across from the main school campus so they can stay in the community's eye.

"When there's little movement from the district, we create activities to force them to pay attention," said teacher Mike Kocher, crisis committee chairman.

Members are kept informed through e-mails and building meetings because, as Kocher put it, "There are no secrets in our union - that's how rumors get started."

The unions will continue their outreach efforts as they seek an agreement that meets members' needs, is fair to local taxpayers and reflects parity with settlements from surrounding districts.