PCTA Summer ACTION - 6/30/2010

PCTA Summer Action

      Vol. 2, Issue 1           June 30, 2010         

Attention PCTA Members!

We need your help as PCTA strives to keep members up-to-date on PCTA and Pinellas County Schools activities during the summer. Let PCTA members know about the Summer Action electronic newsletter. They can sign up by calling PCTA at (727)585-6518 or by e-mail to robin.haines@floridaea.org. They can also access the Summer Action from the PCTA-PESPA homepage on our website www.pcta-pespa.org. The link can be found in the column on the left side of the homepage.

Bargaining Update

The Bargaining Leadership Team (BLT) met on June 28, 2010 to discuss the Pinellas County Schools 2010-11 budget, Humana health insurance costs for the 2011 calendar year and the implications these issues have for collective bargaining and the 2010-11 school year. The BLT is comprised of leaders of the four unions representing Pinellas County employees, the Pinellas Administrators Association and the school district administration. The unions are PCTA, PESPA, SEIU and the Suncoast PBA.

The school district is trying to reduce its operating budget by $26 million to meet revenue expectations. The proposed 2010-11 continuing expenses being used in the budget proposal include the cost for step increases previously negotiated for the 2010-11 school year. Fred Matz, PCS Chief Financial Officer, presented the issues being reviewed by the School Board as possible reductions. The possible reductions being considered are as follows:

Staff reductions                       $5.0 million
Health insurance                        $2.3 million      (See below)  
Transportation plan                       $3.0 million *       
School improvement funds                  $1.2 million        
Discretionary funds                       $2.0 million        
Additional duty days/overtime             $0.5 million
Literacy Success                          $0.5 million        
Extended learning                         $1.0 million        
Contracted services                       $2.0 million
Travel reimbursement                      $0.1 million        
Math/Science coaches                      $0.8 million        
Blackberry use                            $0.2 million
Job titles/redesign                       $0.3 million
Substitute teachers                       $1.4 million 

*Due to school board’s reversal on the school start times, the estimated savings in   transportation will change to $ 900,000.    

These issues alone do not meet the goal of saving $26 million. Consideration is being given to an early retirement incentive for instructional personnel, but details and potential savings must be analyzed to determine its feasibility.

More painful cuts have been calculated and involve mandatory unpaid leave/furlough days, although this has not been formally proposed by the district at this time. PCTA adamantly opposes any unpaid leave for instructional and support professionals. 

PCTA is asking the School Board to reduce its “cliff” reserve which was established in 2009-10. This reserve line was created as an effort to prepare for the end of federal stimulus funding after next school year. The amount of the “cliff” reserve, approximately $12-14 million, will not solve the $50-plus million deficit in the school district’s expected revenues in 2011-12. Using part of this budget line will allow for a balanced 2010-11 budget but does not change the fact that 2011-12 will be disastrous without legislative action to address Florida’s revenue shortfall.

Note: The BLT will meet again in July prior to the School Board’s first budget hearing on July 27th.

Health Insurance

Humana has proposed a 6% premium increase for the 2011 calendar year which would maintain the current benefit structure. The Employee Well-Being and Satisfaction Subcommittee has recommended an option that would mean a 2.9% premium increase with plan design changes, i.e. additional co-insurance and out-of-pocket expenses. This option saves the $2.3 million indicated in the above referenced list. The option would increase premiums, beginning December 2010, for most employees with single coverage by $4-5 per pay period, two person coverage by $8-10 per pay period, and family coverage by $20 per pay period. Note: Humana POS would be between $16 and $40 more per pay period. There is another option that has been proposed that would slightly reduce the employee’s family coverage cost. That option saves $2 million, instead of the $2.3 million.
The BLT did not take action on health insurance at the June 28th meeting. All four employee unions felt many of the other issues, especially unpaid mandatory leave, are important to consider and resolve prior to reaching final agreement regarding health insurance.

Calling All Faculty Representatives

Please mark your calendars and plan on attending our Annual Faculty Representative
School of Instruction. Date: Saturday, August 21st.