Teachers at Forbes Road Career and Technology Center have been without a contract for 10 months

Forbes Road Career and Technology Center in Monroeville is a school meant to train students in career and technical skills. But the instructors say even though what they offer is in high demand, they've been working without a contract for nearly 10 months. 

"There is culinary, there is diesel repair, engine repair, auto collision, building construction, my program, multimedia," said Philip Greene, an instructor at the school.

Greene says teachers need a new, fair contract. They're almost 10 months into negotiations he hoped would end with what the teachers union calls fair pay.

"But obviously that's not the case," he said. "Here we are 10 months later. We went through numerous meetings, numerous situations where meetings were canceled, individuals left the meeting early."

Taxpayers from across multiple school districts in the area help to fund Forbes Road and its programs.

"School districts like Gateway, Penn Hills, Woodland Hills, Franklin Regional, Highlands, Riverview, Plum Borough and all the local schools that are in this region all feed into this," he said. 

And as president of the teachers union, Greene now asks if taxpayers are getting their money's worth, with qualified and fairly compensated instructors.

The Pennsylvania School Educators Association says under the 2026 state budget, Forbes Road receives $1.85 million in state funding, up 3.8% from last year.

But Greene says Forbes Road instructors earn $11,000 less than peers at competitive career and technical education centers.

"I've been here and I've not seen teachers from other schools come to Forbes," he said. "Forbes has been people coming here and leaving for greener pastures. And that's the thing, the trend that we have to stop."

KDKA Investigates reached out to President Erin Vecchio, who said she'd pass our request along to the school solicitor. When we entered the school, a school leader said we didn't follow proper protocol, and asked us to email director Edward McMullen.

We reached out to McMullen asking for any insight on the contract negotiations. We've yet to hear back from anyone on where negotiations with the teachers union stand and how this impacts the students, both present and future.