Negotiations were completed between WWSU representatives and reps from
the teachers/support staff organizations. Those proposed contracts now
need to be approved by individual local school boards and districts. The
support staff agreement was approved contingent on association
ratification at board meetings in June.
WWSU represents five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high
school. Contract negotiations reached an impasse last summer and went
to fact finding. The fact-finding document, released September 10,
spelled out the positional differences between the parties. Those
differences came down to wages and health care and were ironed out
during September 20 meetings.
Going into the last round of meetings, the WWSU reps proposed a 1
percent reduction of each teachers' 2009-10 salary and proposed no
further increase in base salaries, no step or column movement and no
increases to teachers who are off the step/column schedule. (The
step/column schedule increases wages for teachers based on seniority and
educational level.) The board further proposed that that 2009-10 salary
schedule - as reduced by 1 percent - become the 2010-11 pay schedule.
The teachers associations proposed a two-year contract with a 3.5
percent increase in 2010-11 and 4.5 percent in 2011-2012. And the
associations proposed that each teacher would advance one step in salary
schedule annually. The factfinder who worked with the parties, Ira
Lobel, proposed a one-year wage freeze, except for column (educational
level) increases, and he rejected the union's call for a two-year
contract.
In terms of health care costs and plans, currently district employees
pay 12 percent of the premium costs for an individual, couple or family
membership. Employees who participate in a parity program (have medical
coverage elsewhere or through a spouse/partner) are compensated at an
amount similar to the regular employees' plan.
WWSU negotiators proposed increasing the employee contribution to 16
percent (Fayston teachers already pay 15 percent) and adding a third
type of coverage with a high deductible of which the district would pay
$1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples/families with those
employees contributing 16 percent towards the cost of that program. The
associations wanted to keep the current plans as they are.
Under the proposed contract, benefits will remain the same as existed in the previous agreements.
In addition, a joint study committee will be established this year to
analyze, review and evaluate teacher work day and work year issues,
including the possibility of a flexible work day and year. Teachers'
negotiations will begin in about a year from now for the FY 2013
contract.
The support staff negotiations will begin very soon for a new contract
for next year. The support staff contract that was just completed for
Moretown, Waterbury-Duxbury, and Harwood is a two-year agreement
covering last year and this current FY 2011 year.
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