Bargaining Update
February 10, 2009
Certified Staff of the MEA:
Your MEA Bargaining Team engaged in mediated negotiations for over twelve hours today, which resulted in five proposals. As you know, your team has been as factual and objective as possible when writing the bargaining updates, and we will do the same here. In fact, we feel that it is important to provide and explain all five proposals. For those of you who are not inclined to read the entire document, I will provide our latest offer, as well as a commentary on where we stand, at the beginning of this document.
The MEA’s Latest Offer
Below is the MEA’s latest offer. It was developed in response to a on offer the District made. Since this is a “mediation proposal,” if and when it is either rejected or rescinded, it does not bind us in any way. In fact, if this offer is rejected, we will begin the negotiations from scratch.
MEA Counterproposal
Response to District’s Last Offer
February 9th, 2009
Year Salary Insurance Early Retirement
2008-09 2.5% Current Coverage Current Plan
2009-10 1%, with trigger Current Coverage* Plan A
2010-11 1%, with trigger Current Coverage* Plan A, B or C
* The total health insurance budget for this year is $14,000,000. We propose to keep the comprehensive insurance in the contract, instead of moving to a tiered plan, but lowering the District’s annual contribution increase from 7% to 5.5%, which is a saving of $210,000.00.
Explanation of Early Retirement Plan:
Insurance contributions shall not continue beyond Medicare eligibility. PERS eligibility is not a prerequisite.
Early retirement would exist as in the 2006-08 contract for those employees who are retired from the district as of July 1, 2015 (Plan A).
Employees who retire after June 30, 2015 and have 15 or more years of service in the district as of June 30, 2013 receive 4 months Early Retirement insurance contributions, up to maximum contributions for active employees, for every year worked in the district (Plan B).
Employees who have less than 15 years of service in the district as of June 30, 2013 may participate in a defined contribution plan based on the district matching up to $100 per month (Plan C). Employees would be fully vested after 1 year.
Other Conditions
Adopt the proposed MEA “me too” clause for early retirement in the contract being negotiated.
Adopt the proposed MEA “me too” clause for insurance in the contract being negotiated.
Adopt the proposed MEA “me too” clause for cost of living increase in the contract being negotiated: “If the District provides a higher salary percentage increase to any other employee or employee group, then the Association bargaining unit members will also receive the higher salary percentage.
The district will eliminate any and all restrictions on personal leave.
This includes the districts attached MOA with a limit of 12 instead of 18 days.
This is a mediation proposal. If this proposal is not accepted as offered, it is immediately withdrawn.
Opinion of Where Things Stand
As you read in Dr. Long’s message this morning, the District is “crunching the numbers.” I presume that we will hear back from them within the next couple of days. If they reject our proposal (and I’ll be honest – there is a large part of me that hopes they do), we start all over. If you have read our proposal, a rejection of it should show you where the district stands on giving teachers a fair contract. How much farther do you want your bargaining team to go? I’m serious. You will need to let the bargaining team know where you stand.
On the other hand, if the District accepts our offer, there are quite a few things to hammer out. Assuming that we do come to terms on the other issues, and assuming that your bargaining team elects to send the agreement to you for approval, then you will have the opportunity to accept, or reject, the agreement. This won’t be the last time I say this, but when the time comes, you will need to vote your conscience. We are all in this together, and if a majority of you decide that the agreement is not acceptable, your bargaining team will go back and try again. You will always have a voice in how this turns out. If you want to talk about any aspect of what is going on, please contact any member of the bargaining team (our emails are at the top if this post in links).
Robert Young 292-8599
Cheryl Lashley 890-4194
Barbara Low 840-1615
Kelly Larson 734-8566
Cheryl Lashley 890-4194
Barbara Low 840-1615
Clag Offut 535-2001
Donetta Staples 772-6582Kelly Larson 734-8566
Detailed Summary of Yesterday’s Proceedings
Your bargaining team and the District team met in separate rooms, with a mediator moving between them. The process was incredibly slow, especially at the beginning. Contrary to what Todd Bloomquist told me, the District did not have an offer to begin the session. So, faced with that extremely disappointing information, we initiated the discussion by focusing on the cut days situation. In exchange for the 2.5% salary increase that had already been given to all other employees in the district, we offered to allow the district to cut five days, provided that the cut days occur in a five day block either during the week before or after spring break. The district rejected that proposal. Here is the actual proposal:
2008-2009 Cut Days
1. MEA members will agree to cut five days if:
a. MEA members receive the 2.5% salary increase that has already been budgeted for 2008-2009,
b. the District agrees to work with the MEA to reframe “Cut Days” as “temporary employee layoffs” or “shutdown of the school district,” or something similar,
c. the District agrees to develop and release a joint statement with the MEA concerning the cut days,
d. the cut days will take place during the week before or the week after spring break, and
e. any state cuts that are less than the $5.6 million identified in the District’s February 2009 Budget Update will be applied to reducing the number of cut days.
We told the mediator that we realized that more days needed to be cut, but that our proposal was intended to start the dialogue. The District rejected our beginning offer and replied with the following offer:
The District’s Proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
Due to an unprecedented reduction in revenue at the state level, Medford Schools is required to reduce its budget in order to meet the reduction in payments from the state at the end of the 2007-09 biennium. In order to balance the District budget, both the union and the district agree to reduce up to 18 days of work and associated compensation. Six days will occur before spring break and will occur regardless of payment amounts from the state. Remaining days and associated compensation will be cut after spring break contingent upon the district analysis of the March revenue forecast.
In order to resolve state loss of revenue for the remainder of the 2008-09 school year, the parties agree that:
Six reduced days worked for staff: 3/2, 3/9, 3/17, 3/18, 3/19, 3/20
If the district determines that the March revenue forecast requires further reduction in days worded, the District and the union agree to reduce up to 12 additional days.
This M.O.A. shall become effective February 9, 2009 and shall expire June 30, 2009.
I’ll be honest – this was a slap in our faces. In effect, the district wanted full control over how many days they can cut, and when they can cut them, without offering us a single thing in return. In fact, after hearing the proposal, we realized that the district wanted to make the cuts without giving us the 2.5% raise that all other employees have already received. Their proposal made it clear that they wanted to cut a large amount of days AND make teachers pay more for them. This wasn’t an offer – it was a demand. We rejected every part of their proposal, except the first and last sentences.
I cannot tell you how disappointed your bargaining team was. Four hours, and all we had to show for it was a demand that the District be allowed to do whatever it wanted. The mediator pressed us to come up with something to “soften” each side’s position. We responded with the following offer:
Second MEA Mediation Proposal
2/9/2009
2008-2009 Cut Days
1. MEA members will agree to cut five days if:
a. MEA members receive the 2.5% salary increase that has already been budgeted for 2008-2009,
b. the District agrees to work with the MEA to reframe “Cut Days” as “temporary employee layoffs” or “shutdown of the school district,” or something similar,
c. the District agrees to develop and release a joint statement with the MEA concerning the cut days,
d. the cut days will take place during the entire week, and
e. any state cuts that are less than the $5.6 million identified in the District’s February 2009 Budget Update will be applied to reducing the number of cut days.
2. To increase the number of cut days, the MEA will allow the District to choose any number of the proposals below for each day in excess of the five days mentioned above, provided that the dates of the cut days will be agreed upon by both parties:
a. adopt the proposed MEA “me too” clause for early retirement in the contract being negotiated. (Article XIV-E)
b. adopt the proposed MEA “me too” clause for insurance in the contract being negotiated. (Article XIII-A-4 & 5)
c. adopt the following MEA “me too” clause for the cost of living increase in the contract being negotiated: “If the District provides a higher salary percentage increase to any other employee or employee group, then the Association bargaining unit members will also receive the higher salary percentage.”
d. eliminate restrictive language regarding personal leave. (Article X-A-6)
e. adopt current contract language on health insurance (Article XIII)
f. adopt current contract language on early retirement. (Article XIV)
g. adopt the proposed MEA language regarding compensation for large class loads. (Article XII-B-3)
h. agree to a three year MOU that prohibits the laying off of any contract or probationary teacher who has a full-year employment contract for the 08/09 school year.
Salary Increase for 2009-2011
1. In exchange for a 2.5% salary increase in for 2009/10 and 2010/2011, and a CPI - 2 inflation protection, the MEA offers to agree to a 3 year MOU with a 2% base increase for each year, with a trigger for possible increase beyond the base. The trigger will be based on an increase in the total school district budget. The certified base salary increase will be equal to the percent increase of the total school budget from the previous year budget, up to 2.5%.
2. To decrease the base salary increase in the 3 year MOU, the District may choose to add 1 point to the base CPI - 2 for each .5% decrease it wants.
3. To decrease the base salary increase in the 3 year MOU, the District may choose any remaining proposals from A 2 above for each .5% decrease it wants.
The MEA offered to allow the District to cut up to 13 days from the current school year, in exchange for things that were really important to us: protecting job security; keeping the early retirement the same; keeping health insurance benefits the same; and by making sure that teachers and administrators receive the same salary increase, insurance, and early retirement as administrators. The MEA also offered to freeze salaries for the next two years, in exchange for restoring at least some of the salary increases if funding allows and for keeping the inflation protection guaranteed in the current contract. Faced with the opportunity to cut days and freeze salaries, the District rejected not only the elements in the proposal, but the concepts behind them. A complete rejection.
The mediator tried to get us to make another offer. She said that the district didn’t know how to proceed. We steadfastly declined to make the next offer, given that we had just made one and that the District’s last “offer” wasn’t one. The mediator asked what was important to us, and we referred her back to our last offer. She went back to the District and a long delay ensued.
At around 5:30, the District came up with its first real proposal of the day. It is as follows:
Package for MEA on February 9th
Year Salary Insurance Early Retirement
2008-09 2.5% Current Coverage Current Plan
2009-10 Reopener Proposed Tier Plan Plan A
2010-11 Reopener Proposed Tier Plan Plan A, B or C
Explanation of Early Retirement Plan:
Early retirement would exist as is in the 2006/08 contract for those employees who are retired from the district as of July 1, 2011. (Plan A)
Employees who retire after June 30, 2011 and have 15 or more years of service in the district as of June 30, 2009 receive 3 months Early Retirement insurance contributions, up to maximum contributions for active employees, for every year worked in the district (Plan B).
Employees who have less than 15 years of service in the district as of June 30, 2009 will participate in a defined contribution program concept based on years of experience in the district and sick leave balance (Plan C).
This includes the districts attached MOA.
In all honesty, this proposal isn’t much different than the District’s other proposals. However, there were pieces that we could work with, like providing some type of early retirement alternative for teachers who were cut out in the last negotiations. However, there were so many things that we disagreed with, like tiered insurance and no salary increase at all for the second and third year, that we couldn’t accept the proposal as it was written. So we came up with an alternative based on the District’s proposal. See the proposal at the top of this document. It is very possible that we have offered to give too much, but our proposal does include things we really want, like getting “me too” clauses that prevent the District from giving other employees higher salary increases, better insurance, or better early retirement that we do.
No matter where you stand on our latest proposal, make your voices heard. We all have a responsibility in this.
Respectfully,
Robert Young
President, Medford Education Association
