From the Negotiating Team Dear Member, Continuing with the process of collective bargaining for a new agreement, your SWVEA negotiations team met today (31JUL07) to engage in mediation. This mediation, facilitated by Ira Lobel, proceeded for a total of 3.5 hours. The SWVEA and Board decided at the end of this time to pursue the next step in the negotiating process: non-binding fact-finding. The estimated time for this to occur is six weeks. Will you begin the school year with an agreement? Yes. The previous expired agreement for the 2006/2007 portion will remain in effect. The result of today’s mediation strongly indicates the Board’s continuing unwillingness to remove any items from its myriad of proposals from the table. Such a huge quantity of proposals is tantamount to a desire to freely edit our contract language. Remember, the language in our agreement is the result of over twenty years of bargaining. As with some wishing to alter the U.S. Constitution, so to does the Board want to revise our agreement. Like the Constitution, our agreement is a living document. The Union vehemently opposes this presumptuous notion of eradicating thousands of hours of hard-fought and well-deserved rights. Regardless of whether or not the language is similar or dissimilar to other contracts or may be viewed as either “good” or “bad,” the wholesale elimination of years of bargaining in favor of “the new way” is not beneficial to either party. The wide spectrum of proposals by the Board is only one of two primary concerns. The second concern being language proposed by the board that would both limit rights and privileges of members as well as fundamentally changing hours, duties, and working parameters. For a 1% salary increase on the base plus step, the Board wants to increase the administratively restricted workday by nearly 15%. If the Board had its preference, health insurance would increase to a burdensome 20%. Additionally, benefits such as dental and disability would rise from 10% to 20%. The Board wants to decrease the number of sick days that you may accumulate by 50 days. They also want to limit this to full time teachers and pro-rate the benefit for anyone below the 100% mark. This would dramatically change what is currently in our contract.Again, this is with their concurrent offer of little more than a 1% salary increase. The ability to sub-contract unit work permits the Board to assign some of the obligations of a prior contract to another party. Perhaps “out-sourcing” is a succinct way to state the Board’s intentions. While only very specialized jobs would be out-sourced initially, the slippery-slope will inevitably lead to more and more positions being filled by outside agents. The ability to out-source your job is unacceptable.
Rest assured, you negotiating team is working diligently throughout the summer to protect your rights and to acquire for you the benefits your profession deserves. Today the SWVEA Membership voted on the recently presented contract. A total of 164 members voted. YES = 154 NO = 10 Thus, the contract is ratified as presented.
RETROACTIVE PAY – For those of you on the longevity step (15) who will now move to step 16, your retroactive paycheck will be issue July 21 st. Payroll is unable to produce them before this time. As always, please contact one of the current negotiators with questions or concerns.
Have a relaxing & enjoyable summer! FAQs regarding the contract offers May 3, 2005 13. Are core leaders being replaced with department heads? How will they be paid? 14. How much is the retirement buyout of unused sick days? 16. If there is no settlement under what contract will I be working next year? 17. How long can I delay signing a contract for next year and still be assured of a position? 18. If we say no to this offer do we have to go on strike? RE: Negotiations Update Negotiations Action: Two weeks ago we asked members to give us direction in negotiations, and your direction was clear. Based on that strong message, our team is advancing a new proposal to the school board. We will notify members about their response and what our next steps are. Because we are approaching the end of the year, it may be necessary to all a membership meeting on short order. We will count on your cooperation to keep our process open, inclusive and effective. ************************************* To: SVSU Teachers The Negotiations Support Committee met last night and would like to update you with the following information. First, many people have been talking about legislation in the works which would prevent teachers from receiving retroactive pay. This legislation has NOT been proposed, nor has there been any talk of this. It is your legal right to receive any pay owed to you. At SWVEA's request, VT-NEA has looked into the issue, and Joel Cook's, VT-NEA Executive Director & Chief Legal Counsel, response to the matter is: "Bill Talbott did NOT say retroactive pay is not available after June 30.
One thing many members have expressed is that they are disappointed in the board for not following the process of negotiations. One way to prove this is by using our contract. Beginning yesterday teachers are receiving their "Intent To Hire" letter. The NSC is asking that all teachers in the SVSU write or type (cut and paste if you'd like) the following letter to the Superintendent and the Boards: *Dear Superintendent Knapp and Board Members:* It is your contractual right to request an extension. Why not take advantage of this? It sends a strong message that you know your contract and are using it. The NSC is asking that in addition to writing this note, you come to hand deliver it (as per the contract) to Central Office on Monday the 16th or Tuesday the 17th. The more teachers we have show up at once, the stronger our message. You may drop it off at another time, or mail it (certified mail; return receipt as per the contract), however we ask that you join us on the 16th or 17th. The extension must be granted to you. The NSC will arrange another day to sign them, to make sure no one forgets! We thank you for your continued support. As always, if you have any questions please contact an NSC member, building rep, or member of the negotiating team. 311 days is 311 days too many. Thank you. *************************************
TO: SWVEA Association Members FROM: Negotiating Team RE: Negotiations Update Dear members: At the informational meetings held May 3, 2005, both sessions gave the same clear direction to the SWVEA Negotiations Team. Based on that response the SWVEA team will inform the Boards' Team that we have chosen not to accept their offer. As the SWVEA Team continues to meet we will continue communications with the membership. We thank all who attended the sessions, asked questions, offered comments and most importantly offered their support for the decisions made on their behalf. Please continue to ask us questions so we can address any concerns you may have. ************************************* From the Negotiations Support Committee The negotiations support team is requesting that all faculty members commit to attending one or more board meetings. It is important to show our strength and unity and this cannot be demonstrated without everyone cooperating. The membership drive has been very successful. Even if you have chosen not to join the union at this time, this an opportunity to show your support. You are not being asked to take any action other than attending one or more board meetings of your choice. You will not need to speak. Please feel free to attend any board meeting that is convenient for you. It is not necessary to choose a meeting of the board that governs your particular school Success of activities to support negotiations is crucial. Thank you for your participation.
Schedule of School Board Meetings
Negotiations Team Update March 23, 2005 On March 17 the Fact Finders Report was delivered. On March 18, both teams met with mediator, Bruce Fraser. Mr. Fraser began the sessions by meeting with SVSU team beginning at 1:00. He met with us beginning at 2:30. Sessions continued until near 8:00 pm. At that time all seven members of our team along with Norm Bartlett were still actively seeking a settlement. Boards’ team attendance fluctuated over the course of the sessions. The fact finder’s report was an attempt to recommend a compromise that might serve as the basis of an agreement. Neither side was satisfied with the findings. The report made the following suggestions.
The boards’ team agreed with the fact finder that a Master’s degree not be required for horizontal movement. However during the session the board reduced its salary offer to less than what was submitted to the fact finder since a Master’s degree is now not part of the “overall package.” We continue to maintain that these are two separate issues. During the session of March 18, 2005 the boards made salary offers less than their proposals submitted to fact-finding. One offer would essentially be a salary freeze in year one. One of our offers included health co-pay in years 2 and 3 of 12% with salary increases sufficient to provide more than a bare minimum COLA. While the Board did raise their offer, we did not feel that it met the needs of our members. They did not decrease their request for 15% co-pay in year 3. It should be noted that “new money” for salary covers the cost of teachers moving up the salary grid, adding steps at the top and overall cost of living adjustments. (Take home cash pay depends on a variety of factors including position on the salary grid, horizontal movement, benefit choices, and changes in tax law.) On June 30, 2004 we though we were close to an agreement in which health care stayed at 10% co-pay and salary increases within an acceptable range of projected budget increases. Then the boards' team brought up the requirement for a Masters Degree and wanted to have the option of automatically increasing health co-pay if premium increases rose more than projected. On March 27 the fact finders report may be made public if not released sooner. Between now and April 27 is a “cooling off” during which negotiations may continue. The chair of the boards’ team suggested we contact a new mediator who can bring a “fresh perspective” to the process. Norm Bartlett has contacted a mutually agreed upon mediator and we hope to continue negotiating in mediated session by the second week in April. After April 27 either side may take unilateral action or do nothing and allow the expired contract to continue. The boards can continue to offer positions based on the 2001-2004 contract or impose a new contract for one year. The imposed contract would be for one year, July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. Negotiations would start anew. SWVEA can also take unilateral job actions in response to board actions or inactions. The support shown by the SWVEA membership is apparently having an effect. We see a change in attitude on the part of some members of the Boards’ Team. Your continued support has given us the energy to continue this process. Your ongoing display of pride in teaching is having a positive effect. We urge you to keep up these displays of pride. We believe the community is starting to see that though discouraged we will continue our dedication to educating students. We urge you to continue to actively respond to requests from the Negotiations Support Committee. Please feel free to approach any member of the negotiations team or Negotiations Support Committee to ask questions, share your concerns, or request clarification. We wholeheartedly thank you for your continued support as we move through the next steps of this process. SWVEA Negotiations Team and we are PROUD TO TEACH! March 8/2005
THANK YOU all very much to those who attended last night's BSD meeting. Over 100 teachers attended, sending an extremely strong message! As a teacher, I would also like to extend a great appreciation to the negotiators who have worked hard, intelligently, and steadily on our behalf - Vince Pesce, Nancy Czarniecki, Jay Burnell, Linda Moxley, Charlie Bargamian, and Steve Bolesky. Additionally, the many members of the Negotiations Support Team have been doing a fabulous job supporting the negotiators as well as organizing teachers. We have also received phenomenal support and guidance from VT-NEA staff Ellen David Friedman, Tom Walters, and Norm Bartlett. I urge you to continue upporting these folks, the process, and in standing up for your rights to a fair and equitable contract. I know we are all PROUD TO TEACH! Feb 17, 2005 The Negotiations team is still hard at work preparing for upcoming events in the negotiating process. We have little information to supply to you right now, however we can tell you that we have tentatively scheduled a meeting with the boards’ team for March 18th, 2005. This meeting is a step forward. Presently Bruce Fraser is reviewing the briefs from both sides and will produce a fact finding report. At that time both sides will be able to respond and negotiate if they desire (March 18th meeting). The three major issues we’ve been discussing have grown into nine, which we believe is an unfair practice by the board. We have faith that this will be seen by the mediator, as he has met with our two teams before. Nancy Czarniecki and Vince Pesce have been busy visiting schools in the district. At this point we have not been to two of them, however hope to visit soon. We’ve received much positive feedback regarding these informative chats. Most of these visits have included, in addition to Nancy and Vince, Tom Walters of VT-NEA. In addition to our work, the Negotiations Support Committee has been hard at work. On Monday, the 14th, they met to discuss ways to help make the boards realize that most teachers, not just the six negotiators, are frustrated with a lack of a contract. The NSC drafted a short, respectful letter to the boards and have been going around their buildings to get signatures. This is an attempt to show our unity; both members and non-members may sign (but not those who are not members of our bargaining unit). Please mark March 7th on your calendar. At the BSD Board meeting at Monument School on the 7th Nancy Czarniecki and Vince Pesce will present this letter to the board. Before this, though, all board members in all districts will be mailed a copy of this respectful call for a settlement. Don’t forget to please check out www.swvea.com, the SWVEA’s new website. You can find negotiations updates and information, a count of how many days you’ve worked without a contract, and articles about what the SWVEA and VT-NEA do. Have a relaxing and enjoyable February break and you will hear from us again upon our return. Thank you for your continued support. Please help support us by showing up at the board meeting on the 7th so that the boards will see just how many of us are waiting for this settlement. As always, please feel free to discuss negotiations with us either in person or via email January 11, 2005 The board's team continues to be in no hurry to move this process along. While they have accepted Bruce Fraser as fact finder there is yet no agreement from them on a specific time table. While state law calls for fact finding as part of the bargaining process there is no mandated time for starting. Once both sides agree to a start date then there are some mandated steps in the process. Once the fact finder issues a report there is a thirty day "cooling off" period in which there can be no unilateral actions. (Please click here for more details.) VEHI, the health care provider has indicated a maximum 12% premium increase for the next insurance year. This essentially settles most if not all the monetary considerations of the first two years of the contract. The board however continues to make new proposals that affect teacher compensation and professional status. (Please click here for more details.) A Support Committee has been organized and there are now members from each building. You should have received a letter from Stephannie Peters about the support committee. We urge you to become active. Join the committee, talk to the members, and most important, actively respond to any of their suggestions. Members of the support committee are contacting Nancy Czarniecki (nczarniecki@svsu.org) to arrange building visits by the CO-Chairpersons of the Negotiating Team. We anticipate that the boards will agree to a start time for fact finding at their next meeting. We say this knowing that the board has shown great reluctance to commitment and effectively follow through with any timetable or procedure. We urge all members to be in contact with their building representatives and members of the Support Committee. The boards need to see us being active advocates of our professional needs and the necessity of fair compensation to teachers in order to provide quality education in Southwest Vermont. One of the greatest assets of teachers is patience. You have certainly exhibited patience in this process that has taken over a year. We cannot express enough our appreciation. We now actively solicit your participation with the Support Committee as we try to move this process to a conclusion. (Day 163 without a contract) TO: SWVEA Association Members FROM: Negotiating Team RE: Negotiations Update We wish we had more progress to report. The board's team appears to be in no hurry to move this process along. They rejected an offer of binding arbitration. They have accepted Bruce Fraser as the fact finder. We are trying to get the boards to agree to implement the first year of the contract since none of the issues affect the first year. Your building representatives as well as members of the Negotiating team have information about the details of the first year including the proposed salary grid reflecting the additional step and COLA increases. Persons on step 1-14 last year have already received step increase for this year and would get the COLA increase in addition. Persons on step 15 would get a step increase if the tentative contract is implemented. There is not yet an agreement about retroactive pay. We believe that retroactive pay should be a lump sum paid within two pay periods of settlement. If the board agrees to implement the first year we will be arranging a membership vote to approve that action. The boards' team is continuing to forward a proposed change that would require earning a Master's Degree within five years and eliminate the Bachelor's plus columns. We have detailed the history of the present grid and explained how implementing such a change would have adverse effects on the staff of SVSU. Logic and reason do not seem enough to sway some of the board's members. A member of the boards' team continues to push for a change in the CDC language that neither the CDC Staff nor the building administrator want. Indeed the building administrator and the CDC personnel continue to agree on language. We won't go into a complete rehashing of the health care costs. The board wants us to assume an automatic decrease in pay to cover healthcare cost increases. We have made proposals that cover the first 12% of health care cost increases by keeping the 10% CO-pay and keeping the COLA increase to a modest level. We are insisting that the boards take the risk for healthcare increases over 12% while we take the risk of ALL other cost of living increases such as food, electricity, oil, gas, college tuition, clothing, etc. Recent information from VEHI indicates that the increase in health care premiums for next year will not exceed 12%. Hopefully this will be seen by the board as further evidence of the soundness of the proposals on the table. When we polled members last fall the single most mentioned concern was maintaining healthcare benefits. The proposals we have put forth continue the 10% CO-pay for teachers and provides the boards with the ability to make reasonable budget projections. The first step of the fact finding process is to stipulate the unresolved issues. Tim Holbrook and Norm Bartlett will prepare a joint statement to be reviewed by the SWVEA team (and presumably the boards' team) prior to forwarding to Bruce Fraser. We understand that the boards will be meeting December 14 and will hopefully stay on this timetable. On December 9 we met with Norm Bartlett to review and finish preparing our written arguments to be presented to Bruce Fraser by December 21. On January 15 the fact finding report will be presented to both teams. Unlike arbitration, the fact finder's report is not binding on either side. Within 10 days the two sides are to meet and attempt settlement using the recommendations of the fact finder. There is a thirty (30) day period after the report is presented in which the findings can be accepted or rejected in whole or part by either side. If both sides accept the findings then the tentative contract is put to the members for a vote. If all or part of the fact finder's report is rejected, the boards can impose a one year contract thirty days after the report is presented. Also thirty days after the report is presented, regardless of any board action, the Association can begin taking job actions. This could lead to an interesting Valentine's Day. A Negotiations Support Committee is being formed. The purpose of this committee will be to aid communications to and from the membership regarding the contract as we proceed through fact finding. This committee would organize any SWVEA actions that may be considered after the fact finder's report. This committee would also consider actions in response to imposition of a contract or continued inaction by the boards after February 14. The goal is to have one person on this committee for every ten members. This will be a vital step in the negotiating process. Please contact your building representative or Stephannie Peters to volunteer. We urge you to discuss issues among yourselves AND make known your concerns to building reps, building administrators, and school board members, as well as to the negotiating team. We will be scheduling building visits in early January to further explain this whole process and answer questions. We are now over 160 days since the contract expired. It is hard not to construe the unwillingness of board members to agree to a fair contract as a lack of respect for the teaching profession. An acquaintance once shared the following, "I've been a middle manager for a communications company and before that a teacher for five years. I seldom went home tired when I was a manager. I was tired at the end of everyday when I was a teacher." Teaching is truly one of those professions that one has to experience from the inside to appreciate the dedication brought by each and teacher day in and day out. It is an honor to represent dedicated, hard working professionals. May you all have an opportunity to find the time to relax, rest, be a little less tired, and hopefully a lot more appreciated come the New Year Contract
Negotiations Update |
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Contract Negotiations Update On Thursday, 11 November (yesterday) we met with the board and mediator Bruce Frasier to try and settle the final three issues that are holding us back from settling on a contract. We began by meeting with Bruce and the chair of the board’s team to give history. Once again it was brought up that the board issued late proposals, one of which directly contradicts the state regulations for re-certification. We also discussed the health care issue at length. Our team, during the last mediation over the summer, budgeted new monies that would be comparable to a 12% increase in health insurance premiums. This was an assumed risk on our part. The board is not satisfied. After this we split into our two teams and began working back and forth through Bruce. |
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Contract Negotiations Update 8. Middle School - Contract language issues continue to arise at the middle school. Nancy Czarniecki has been involved and feels that there has been some miscommunication to the board and the teachers. There has been some reorganization of the teams at the Middle School, and some teams by their very nature will have slightly different schedules. Hopefully this can be settled without further changes to the contract. |
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