Bargaining '03: About More Than Money

In the Evergreen and Wolverine States, respect for educators--or the lack thereof--determines the pace of contract talks.

Photo by Dave Raczkowski

Let's get right to the point: The 2003-04 school year will be brutal for contract bargaining. "Economic concerns will dominate, particularly salary and health care benefits," says Lynn Ohman, director of NEA's Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy Department. "On average, private health insurance premiums increased 13.9 percent in 2003, the largest increase since 1990. Rising health costs will squeeze salaries--and both are set against the backdrop of very tight budgets for state and municipal governments."

Add another factor and you've got labor strife. "The bottom line is respect," a striking high school teacher in Marysville, Washington, told the Seattle Times in September. Among the issues driving this dispute: the district's demand for a huge salary cut.

It never had to happen. Right next to Marysville, the Everett School District--which faces the same tight funding as other Washington districts--signed a new contract with the Everett Education Association (EEA) that provides an 8 percent raise over three years and additional district funding for health insurance. The pact also limits high school class sizes, provides elementary teachers more time to prepare for classes, and includes a third-year "reopener" if the state fails to provide a cost-of-living adjustment.

UniServ Director Mike Wartelle says the contract is proof that school districts can make educators a budget priority, even during tough economic times. And the agreement shows that Everett "respects and values its teachers and is responsive to their needs," says EEA President Kim Meade.

By early September, Washington Education Association (WEA) local affiliates had settled most of the state's approximately 140 open contracts, "some with increases," reports WEA staffer Rich Wood. But if respect was in the air in the Evergreen State, the Rockies stalled its flow east to the Wolverine State, where many school boards were howling poverty in negotiations with the Michigan Education Association (MEA).

At press time, more than 600 MEA local affiliates were still in bargaining. MEA had placed 50 bargaining units undergoing difficult, protracted contract talks--the highest number since 1999--on its high-profile "critical list," affording them access to stepped-up MEA bargaining, communications, and "crisis" support.

It never had to happen. While some Michigan school systems are experiencing genuine financial problems, MEA researchers have discovered that many districts on the critical list are nursing healthy fund balances, many in the double digits.

"Contrary to popular belief, districts aren't broke; they are behaving like banks," says MEA President Lu Battaglieri. "Rainy day funds are meant to be used when times get tough and times are tough right now. That money should be spent on children and programs."

A hot spot on the critical list is Kent County, where MEA locals in the Kenowa Hills, Lowell, and Kentwood districts have dug in to win decent contracts. Teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) in Kenowa Hills, a district with a history of protracted bargaining, are doing what they've long done best, bargaining as one and being creative. These educators submitted a spontaneous teacher/ESP vote of "no confidence" to the superintendent--and they're wearing unity stickers, sporting lime green union T-shirts, and packing school board meetings.

And, with MEA training, these teachers and ESPs are running "coffee klatsches" to tell Kenowa Hills residents of the real issues in bargaining: demands for salary/health care concessions from an employer that sits on a rainy day fund exceeding 15 percent. "We've already made more than $3 million in concessions since 1985!" stresses high school teacher Sandra Carter, president of the Kenowa Hills Education Association.

"I tell our members that it's important to keep what we have, including contract language in areas such as transfers, grievability, and the sick leave bank. A lot of new teachers borrow from that sick leave bank," Carter adds.

"We tend to get the same language as teachers," notes high school maintenance worker Sandy Wilson, president of the Kenowa Hills Support Staff Association. "We ESPs feel stronger because we've bargained as one team with teachers since the 1980s. Everybody sees all the proposals. I've sat through discussions on elementary planning time--it's an important issue--and teachers sit through ESP issues. That's unity for you."

--Dave Winans

Alabama
Despite a hard-fought campaign by the Alabama Education Association (AEA) and its allies, voters have rejected ballot Amendment 1, Governor Bob Riley's education reform and accountability program--which would have raised some $800 million in new K-12 funding over five years. In the aftermath, school employees under contract this year "will be safe until the end of the budget year," says AEA Executive Secretary-Treasurer Paul R. Hubbert. But short-term effects will include slashes in everything from classroom supply money to professional development programs, and long-term cuts promise to be "gargantuan."

AEA polling shows that Alabamans still support new funding for schools, so "we must put together another plan and take it to the legislature and the people," stresses Hubbert. "If we don't, 1 of every 10 teachers will be gone next year--and with them, thousands of support professionals."

Montana
On the brink of a back-to-school strike, Butte Teachers Union members signed a contract with their district in August that includes an immediate 4.15 percent raise, $25 more a month to help with insurance costs, and an increase in the number of sick days available for personal use to six a year. The pact also provides $11,000 to be divided equally between the extracurricular coach and advisor stipends.

California
California Teachers Association (CTA) President Barbara E. Kerr has commended the state's appointment of Los Angeles County high school teacher Leslie Littman to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. A former mentor teacher with 12 years of teaching experience, Littman was a member in 2001 of the state Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education.

"The commission is much more effective when teachers are involved in decisions that affect our profession," says Kerr. "Leslie will be a strong voice for educators across the state."

Nevada
The Nevada State Education Association has won educator-friendly language in the state law passed to implement the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act. The statute's savings clause states that specific provisions in the legislation "do not supercede, negate, or otherwise limit the effect or applications" of the state collective bargaining, licensure, discipline, and discharge laws.

Maryland
Ask 'em and they might just join you. During the first week of the school year, the Prince George's County Educators' Association recruited 711 new teachers into its ranks. A warm welcome to the NEA family!

Louisiana
In a newly signed pact with the Calcasieu Association of Educators, the Calcasieu Parish's Special Education Department has agreed to coach its paraeducators for the ParaPro test, which they must take to meet the "quality" mandates of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). "This may be the only parish in the state in which a teacher/paraprofessional team sent to the Louisiana Association of Educators for training is actually working with its district to help prepare paras to become highly qualified," reports UniServ Director Sandra Dvergsdal.

Minnesota
In September, hundreds of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) members rallied outside a school board meeting to protest the district's unlawful violations of the collective bargaining agreement--from blocking earned step increases and lane changes to "nongranting" negotiated sabbatical leaves. Even though the current contract expired June 30, state law requires that it remain in effect until replaced. "This is hardly the way to attract the best and brightest to teach in Minneapolis schools," sighs MFT President Louise Sundin.

Wyoming
Legal representation from the Wyoming Education Association (WEA) has saved the job of former Kemmerer Education Association President Cynthia Yantzi. The WEA activist was the only teacher in the Kemmerer district targeted for a reduction in force (RIF), on the bogus grounds that she was "not certified" to teach chemistry.

On the second day of Yantzi's RIF hearing, the school board stopped the process, admitting "mistakes" were made. On July 2, the school board revoked the layoff notice; seven days later, the superintendent--who was wrong about Yantzi's certification--resigned.

"Without the Association, there is little chance I could have challenged this," says a relieved Yantzi. "My Association dues paid for that. There's no way I could have found as good a lawyer on my own."