Certified Colleagues of Medford 549C:
On Monday, October 20, your bargaining team met with the district for a scheduled negotiation. The district made a counterproposal, which consisted of five main points:
Salary: in a move away from its original offer of a 0%, 2% and 2% salary increase, the district offered a 2.5% salary increase for the 08/09 school year. Unfortunately, the district wants to wait to negotiate the salary increases for the second and third year of the contract until it knows how much money the state will be giving it for the 09/11 biennium. The problem with this approach is that if we are negotiating only one issue, then we would have absolutely no leverage to reach a fair salary increase.
Health Insurance: the district proposes two changes to our current health insurance: altering the monthly district contribution to our insurance and charging teachers more money for covering family members. With respect to the district contribution, the district proposes to pay the currently-scheduled $1,018 monthly contribution for the 08/09 school year, but to also require in subsequent years that members pay 10% of the monthly contribution, whatever it is, for family members. This employee contribution is in addition to existing co-pays and deductibles. The district’s stated purpose for the change is to save money by increasing employee contributions and by limiting health care usage.
Early Retirement: instead of taking away early retirement health insurance for members with less than 20 years in the district, as it originally proposed, the district now proposes that all employees age 55 and over with 15 years or more in the district will receive eight years of insurance, so long as they retire by 2011. Under the new proposal, anyone with 15 years in the district and who retires between 2011 and 2017 will receive less than eight years of insurance. Anyone retiring after 2018, no matter the number of years in the district, will not receive any early retirement insurance. Also, anyone currently younger than 45 would no longer be eligible for early retirement insurance. At the minimum, this means that another 40% of our members would lose early retirement insurance altogether, joining the 20+% of members hired after 2006. In addition, the district dropped its original proposal to fund an individual savings account alternative for those members who don’t receive early retirement insurance.
Personal Leave: instead of trying to limit when personal days could be used, the district now proposes to encourage members to not use all of their personal days by paying for unused personal days at the end of the school year. Payment would range from $50 for one unused personal day to $300 for three unused personal days.
Sick Leave Bank: the district proposes a new plan for a sick leave bank that the classified employees now enjoy. The sick leave bank would replace the current
practice of donating personal days on a case-by-case basis. Instead, members could donate up to two sick days a year into a “bank” that could be accessed by members who suffer serious illnesses that cannot be completed by their own accrued sick days.
During the session, the district repeatedly reminded us that they have a limited amount of money. We responded that we have given up money every year since 2000. The district also linked its proposal to a potentially sour economy in the future. We replied that we received no extra money when the economy was good. In fact, we gave up money during the last contract cycle, when the economic outlook was quite rosy.
After taking some time for private discussion, your bargaining team asked the district a few clarifying questions. We then informed the district that, based on preliminary tabulations of our recent survey, we are still very far apart on the money issues. Both sides were disappointed, and we ended the meeting.
If you want something better than the salary, insurance, and early retirement offers that the district has proposed, you will need to show your resolve, soon. You will soon hear from our organizing team with an invitation to attend an extremely important event next week. The district needs to see that the teachers of Medford 549C are serious about receiving a fair contract this time. Your attendance will be crucial to future negotiations.
I appreciate all the ways in which you support your bargaining team. Help us help you.
Respectfully,
Robert Young
President, Medford Education Association
On Monday, October 20, your bargaining team met with the district for a scheduled negotiation. The district made a counterproposal, which consisted of five main points:
Salary: in a move away from its original offer of a 0%, 2% and 2% salary increase, the district offered a 2.5% salary increase for the 08/09 school year. Unfortunately, the district wants to wait to negotiate the salary increases for the second and third year of the contract until it knows how much money the state will be giving it for the 09/11 biennium. The problem with this approach is that if we are negotiating only one issue, then we would have absolutely no leverage to reach a fair salary increase.
Health Insurance: the district proposes two changes to our current health insurance: altering the monthly district contribution to our insurance and charging teachers more money for covering family members. With respect to the district contribution, the district proposes to pay the currently-scheduled $1,018 monthly contribution for the 08/09 school year, but to also require in subsequent years that members pay 10% of the monthly contribution, whatever it is, for family members. This employee contribution is in addition to existing co-pays and deductibles. The district’s stated purpose for the change is to save money by increasing employee contributions and by limiting health care usage.
Early Retirement: instead of taking away early retirement health insurance for members with less than 20 years in the district, as it originally proposed, the district now proposes that all employees age 55 and over with 15 years or more in the district will receive eight years of insurance, so long as they retire by 2011. Under the new proposal, anyone with 15 years in the district and who retires between 2011 and 2017 will receive less than eight years of insurance. Anyone retiring after 2018, no matter the number of years in the district, will not receive any early retirement insurance. Also, anyone currently younger than 45 would no longer be eligible for early retirement insurance. At the minimum, this means that another 40% of our members would lose early retirement insurance altogether, joining the 20+% of members hired after 2006. In addition, the district dropped its original proposal to fund an individual savings account alternative for those members who don’t receive early retirement insurance.
Personal Leave: instead of trying to limit when personal days could be used, the district now proposes to encourage members to not use all of their personal days by paying for unused personal days at the end of the school year. Payment would range from $50 for one unused personal day to $300 for three unused personal days.
Sick Leave Bank: the district proposes a new plan for a sick leave bank that the classified employees now enjoy. The sick leave bank would replace the current
practice of donating personal days on a case-by-case basis. Instead, members could donate up to two sick days a year into a “bank” that could be accessed by members who suffer serious illnesses that cannot be completed by their own accrued sick days.
During the session, the district repeatedly reminded us that they have a limited amount of money. We responded that we have given up money every year since 2000. The district also linked its proposal to a potentially sour economy in the future. We replied that we received no extra money when the economy was good. In fact, we gave up money during the last contract cycle, when the economic outlook was quite rosy.
After taking some time for private discussion, your bargaining team asked the district a few clarifying questions. We then informed the district that, based on preliminary tabulations of our recent survey, we are still very far apart on the money issues. Both sides were disappointed, and we ended the meeting.
If you want something better than the salary, insurance, and early retirement offers that the district has proposed, you will need to show your resolve, soon. You will soon hear from our organizing team with an invitation to attend an extremely important event next week. The district needs to see that the teachers of Medford 549C are serious about receiving a fair contract this time. Your attendance will be crucial to future negotiations.
I appreciate all the ways in which you support your bargaining team. Help us help you.
Respectfully,
Robert Young
President, Medford Education Association
