Bargaining Update
9/17/08
Colleagues:
Your bargaining team met with the District’s team on Tuesday, September 16. At the beginning of the meeting, I showed the District the same Power Point presentation that I prepared for you a few weeks ago. Your bargaining team felt it was necessary to remind our counterparts that during the last five years, certified employees have given up over $22 million to help the district reach a firmer financial position. The last slide, as before, posed the not-so-rhetorical question “how much more are you willing to sacrifice?” After that, we started talking money.
The district took some time explaining a plan that would apply money gained from a salary freeze toward a defined contribution plan. This tax-free plan would replace the existing early retirement insurance, which they propose to eliminate for most of us. The district also proposed a new “one-time longevity pay” bonus to compensate those teachers who would not receive a step increase during the proposed salary freeze. Your team then spent almost an hour asking specific questions regarding their proposals on salary, insurance, and early retirement. Before taking a break for private caucuses, your team gave each member of the district team an eight page historical summary of both side’s proposals, tentative agreements, questions, and comments. The document also restates the counterproposals that we presented to the district last June. Email me and I’ll send a copy to you.
After each team had a chance to talk privately, we reconvened, and your bargaining team made two proposals in order to start the negotiation on money issues. First, we lowered our salary offer from 4% or CPI + 3, whichever is higher, to 4% or CPI + 2, whichever is higher. Second we proposed that the district’s plan for an early retirement substitute be voluntary for the upcoming contract. This would allow teachers who would rather have a defined contribution plan to opt out of early retirement insurance, while keeping the promise of early retirement insurance to those teachers who have planned their future around it. Both sides then agreed on a framework for the next bargaining session, scheduled for September 29. We informed the District team that would not be bringing any new offers to the table during the next session.
Your team believes in you, and in the the job you do,
Robert Young
President, MEA
