BARGAINING UPDATE - PCTA AND DISTRICT REACH AGREEMENT

PCTA and the District have reached tentative agreement on six critical issues for the 2010-11 school year. After a long day of tense negotiations, agreement was reached on the following items:
 
• The agreement reaffirms the step increase and the additional required training day (199th day) for 2010-11.
• The agreement contains NO mandatory unpaid leave/furlough days.
• The tentative agreement also establishes a $250 training supplement for 2010-11. The one-time supplement will be paid to teachers in two equal installments next year for specific training completed from a menu of options. Participation will be required in order to receive the supplement.
• The issue of hiring new teachers on a provisional contract at a reduced rate of $100 per day was successfully removed from the table. New teachers will be hired at full pay!
• The agreement establishes an Early Retirement Incentive Plan (see details below).
• Health insurance for the 2011 calendar year was also agreed upon by all four unions at today’s Bargaining Leadership Team meeting.
 
These negotiations took place in an environment of decreasing property tax revenues and a continuing lack of funding from the Legislature. In fact, declining property values impact the referendum funds and will result in a $168 decrease at each step on the salary schedule. All in all, PCTA believes we accomplished the best package possible avoiding layoffs, furloughs and provisional contracts.
 
“This is a good, solid contract under these difficult financial constraints,” stated PCTA president Kim Black upon completion of negotiations today. “Resolving these issues and providing a healthy contract prior to the teachers returning in August will go a long way in an effort to improve morale and provide stability during an extremely unstable time,” she added.
 
Early Retirement Incentive Plan (ERIP)
 
The agreement calls for a plan that would be available to instructional personnel with at least 25 years of experience on the salary schedule or in their first two years of DROP. The time in DROP is under review and may change in the next 24 hours. The plan will provide a taxable incentive of $27,000, $9,000 annually, paid over three yearly installments in September of 2010-12. The signup period will begin July 28 and end on August 11th. More information will be forthcoming from the District.
 
 
Health Insurance
 
The agreement maintains the 80%/20% split of costs borne by the district and employee. To maintain the lowest premiums possible, the agreement includes minimal design changes to the insurance plan, effective January 2011, and has increased premium costs for the employer and employee beginning December 2010. Premium changes for 96% of employees range from $4 per pay period for single coverage to $20 per pay period for family coverage. Premiums for those having the Point of Service plan will pay $16 to $40 more each pay period. This proposal saves $2.3 million from the initial Humana renewal. The Bargaining Leadership Team (BLT), consisting of all four employee unions and the Administrators’ association, reached consensus on the insurance package.
 
 
Note: More extensive details will be forthcoming.
 

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