Three-years of arguments between the Massapequa Board of Education and the Massapequa Federation of Teachers (MFT), may have come to an end last week when a conceptual agreement was reached between the board and the union leadership.

None of the details of the tentative agreement have been reached, but according to School Board President Robert Thompson, it looks as if the dispute is ended. "We believe we have an agreement with the union," he said.

"We don't yet have that piece of paper in our hands with a settlement on it," said Union Vice President Don Nobile. "I'm still wearing my buttons."

Thompson said that hopefully, by the end of the week, the final wording of the new contract will be drafted and presented to the union membership for a vote.

The new contract would need to be agreed upon by the members of the MFT and the board of education.

Nobile said that until the final wording of the contract is hammered out, that teachers in Massapequa are still "working without a contract."

Superintendent of Schools James Brucia said that he was pleased with last weeks turn of events. "I was happy that the process worked," Brucia commented.

According to Nobile, the most recent mediator, Martin Scheinman, directed the union and the district to follow a set of prepared statements for the press. "Mr. Scheinman said that neither side can give any specifics," said Nobile, adding that the moratorium on discussing contract issues is still in effect.

In a behind closed doors meeting with negotiators for the board and the union, Nobile said, Scheinman suggested that the sides say that there has been a "meeting of the minds" between both sides, that an economic deal has been reached, and that some issues still need to be worked through and some contract language needs to be developed.

Thompson credited Scheinman for the tentative "meeting of the minds."

"He brought a reality to the whole thing," said Thompson. "He brought his expertise from other labor contracts."

After the final contract settlement is drafted, it will be forwarded to the union membership and the board of education for a majority vote of approval.

"I would like to see the process end," said Nobile. "But, we also need to see these loose ends tied up."