Bridgehampton Teachers Work Without Contract, Citing 'Toxic Working Environment'

A large group of teachers walked into the Bridgehampton School gymnasium on Wednesday night, November 19, during a Board of Education meeting, wearing matching black-and-yellow Bridgehampton Teachers Association shirts.

It was a show of solidarity, bringing awareness to the fact they they’ve been working without a new contract since the end of the last school year.

Contract negotiations began last spring, but thus far the district and the union have not been able to work out a deal.

One parent in attendance at Wednesday night’s meeting asked for an update on the contract situation and was told by the district’s attorney, Michael Vigliotta, only that “negotiations are ongoing.” He said he was not allowed to divulge any more information beyond that.

After the meeting, Bridgehampton School teachers Joseph Pluta and Caitlin Hansen, the representatives for the union, spoke about what led to the situation, although they said they could not answer too many specific questions because of the negotiations.

“Many of our members have expressed frustration with a toxic working environment,” Pluta said.

When asked to expand on what, exactly, those frustrations were related to, Hansen chimed in. “Conversations between administration and staff, and the tone that some of those conversations take,” she said. “Some of our members have concerns about that.”

Bridgehampton School Superintendent Dr. Mary T. Kelly said on Thursday, November 20, that negotiations taking a few months is not an unusual circumstance, pointing out that the previous Bridgehampton Teachers Association contract took more than 14 months to settle.

“With regard to this round of bargaining, the union first reached out in December 2024 to begin talks in February 2025,” she said. “They were not ready to start until April 2025. We were prepared to negotiate beginning in January 2025.”

She also pointed out that, under New York law, an expired contract remains fully in effect until a new one is reached, and that when the teachers returned to work this year after the summer break, they received raises under the existing salary schedule.

“This year, the average increase on the salary schedule is 4 percent,” she said.

Kelly pushed back against the assertion that there’s a “toxic” work environment at the school. “Staff are always encouraged to come directly to administration with any concerns or needs, which are addressed promptly,” she said. “In addition, over the past several years, we have made significant progress working collaboratively as a district. We were removed from all state improvement lists and are now in ‘good standing.’”

She added that, over the last few years, the district has doubled its AP offerings, launched the College Board Capstone Program, and expanded its CTE (career and technical education) pathways in several areas as well.

“We also secured $2.5 million in competitive grants that directly benefit our students, as well as staff, through added pay and professional development opportunities,” she said. “We have achieved this without increasing staff or piercing the tax cap; we restructured staffing and operations and implemented a number of efficiencies in our effort to serve as thoughtful stewards of taxpayer dollars, while being sensitive to the impact that these changes may have on staff.

“That said,” she continued, “change can be challenging, and contract negotiations can heighten tensions, especially if the broader membership may not be fully informed about what their negotiations committee is seeking on their behalf.

“While negotiations can be difficult, we are committed to ensuring that this process does not disrupt the educational environment,” she concluded.

Pluta has been a special education teacher in the district for 10 years, while Hansen has been at Bridgehampton for seven years, currently working as a third grade special education teacher.

They said that while they can’t disclose what the sticking points are in the negotiations, there are a few things they want the community to know, and had a few other sentiments they wanted to express.

“Being present is important,” Hansen said. “Coming to board meetings is very beneficial. You find out a lot of information. I have found, coming to them, that it’s been a lot of good conversations with community members.”

“This is a union that’s always cared about this community and this district, and the direction it goes in, and we’re here to keep that momentum alive, and keep the spirit of this place alive, because, the Killer Bees, it’s a special place for all of us,” Pluta said.

They both said they enjoy working in the school because of how close-knit everyone is, due in large part to the small number of students in the district.

“The kids and the families are fantastic,” Hansen said. “A small size allows us to build connections with each child and each family in a very unique way. It’s always been a heavy community- and family-based environment, and I think that it’s important that we keep that in mind as we move into the future.”

“It’s not every day that you get to know a pre-K student and you get to see them grow all the way to when they’re walking down, getting their cap and gown,” Pluta added. “It’s always been a big family, whether you’re a teacher in the union, CSEA, administration, on the board or a parent. It’s always been a nice, close community — and we want to keep that alive.”