By: Dan Sokil, David Hare

Negotiations between the striking teachers union and the Souderton Area School Board broke down Friday.
After this latest negotiation session, which started at 10:30 a.m., and ended around 4 p.m., officials from both parties said the major sticking points remain salary and health care benefits.
"Neither side is willing to make a move on salary unless they move on medical first," said Bill Lukridge, President of the Souderton Area Education Association.
On health care, the district and the union continue to disagree on an amount paid for premiums and deductibles, Lukridge said.
"And there's still no salary proposal that would get us up to the average in Montgomery County," he said.
Jeffrey Sultanik, chief negotiator for the district, said the administration is most concerned by a statement made by union negotiator Gary Smith.
"(Smith) claims he is simply following the direction of the union membership that want enhancements to health with no changes in premium contributions," Sultanik said. "He seems powerless to change that direction. We find that very problematic."
Two new negotiation sessions have been scheduled for September 15 and September 19.
While salary and benefits remain contentious, Sultanik said he was hopeful continued progress could be made on smaller issues.
After Friday's meeting both sides claimed progress was made in smaller areas.
The board agreed to modify its proposals regarding length of the work year, unused personal days and timelines for grievance filing. The teacher's union withdrew its request for classroom coverage compensation and a sick day bank.
Still, Sultanik sounded less sanguine about solving the big issues to end the strike.
"Hopefully the union membership becomes aware that their demands are not achievable at the bargaining table," he said. "The union is conditioning students' education based on the board capitulating to their demands. That's just no going to happen."
Lukridge said the teachers won't return to their jobs during the negotiations because they refuse to work under the old contract that expired in June.
"The only way we're going back to work is if we get a better contract than the one that expired or we're ordered by the court," he said.
Bernard Currie, school board president, released a statement shortly after Friday's meeting
"The union's negotiator (Smith) made it clear that he plans to exhaust the process," Currie said. "We can only assume this means he has no intention of recommending teachers go back to school until required to by state law on September 24. This is most unfortunate for the students and the teachers."
At a press conference Lukridge held just prior to the meeting Friday, he reiterated the union's position that Souderton is losing quality teachers to higher-paying districts.
"How can we stop this erosion of the district's talent pool? And what will happen if we don't?" Lukridge said. "We had a teacher in this district who left to go to Quakertown, was put on a lower step of their salary guide, and still is making $20,000 more per year."
A guidance counselor left Souderton for a job in another district and received a $10,000 raise, Lukridge said, another teacher took a job in Boyertown and landed a $13,000 boost, and a third just went to teach in Philadelphia and saw their salary jump from $45,000 in Souderton to $69,000 in Philadelphia.
"These are real facts, from real people, and if we were to accept the board's present proposal, that erosion of talent will continue," he said.