Side by Side of Current Proposals

Here is an update on where we are in bargaining so far. Below is a summary of what is currently on the table from each side. For more details, you can browse previous posts. Hope to see you at our next bargaining session Wednesday, October 2nd, 4:45 pm, at the AHEM Office!

Topic	AHEM Proposal	District Proposal
Salary Schedule	·       Step and lane movement both years ·       2.5% increase on all cells both years ·       Place ABE/ECFE teachers on the salary schedule with a 2.5% raise	·       Step and lane movement both years ·       1% increase on career steps the first year, 1.5% increase the second year ·       For ABE/ECFE teachers, first year increase the top step only by 1.5%; second year increase all steps by 1%, except for the top step which would increase by 1.5%
Health Insurance	·       100% district contribution to Medica Choice Single plan (same as current) ·       Increase district contribution amount to the equivalent of 70% of the Elect/Essential Family plan	·       Freeze current district contribution rates at this year’s amounts. If there are future increases in premiums, members would pick up entire increase
Leadership Pay	·       Create a Leadership Pay Task Force to review ESA/Coaching/Leadership pay systems and make proposals we can use in the next round of bargaining ·       Increase pay for all ESA, Coaching, and Leadership positions by 2.5% ·       Eliminate pay levels E and F, and move all those positions to level D ·       Addition of some new positions	·       Addition of some new positions ·       No increase to ESA, Leadership, or Coaching positions ·       Eliminate Level F and move those positions to Level E, and increase the pay for Level D.
Workload	·       Define Planning Time in the contract as unstructured, continuous time during Work Shop Week and at the end of trimesters ·       Add three planning days ·       Designate ten hours of conference time as Family Communication time to be used at teachers’ discretion ·       Offer six days of work time for special education teachers to complete due process paperwork during the year, with substitutes relief if needed ·       Eliminate all extra duties for traveling teachers ·       Cap the number of elementary specialist sections at 42 half hour blocks (or 21 hour blocks) per week	·
Other Language Items	·       Eliminate Sub Deduct Days ·       Increase the number of personal days from three to four ·       Create Substitute Leave where time off can be earned by subbing for colleagues during prep time ·       Include grandchildren as family members for whose care leaves can be used ·       Extend parental leave to mothers ·       Add tech specialists at program sites as we do at elementary schools ·       Add pay for members of the Staff Development Committee at Level C ·       Change the name of the Math Club to the more accurate Math Team.	·       Create a “monitor” position with a stipend of $500 for online classes at the new StepAhead virtual school ·       Responded to our Substitute Leave idea with some modifications ·       Editorial changes regarding buy back language and site names ·       Editorial changes to bring us into compliance with the new marriage equality law

Session #7 - September 18th, 2013

District General Counsel opened this session with a moment of silence for the loss of AHEM Field Staffer Gary Chrisotoferson. His absence at this first bargaining session since his death was keenly felt.

The district team began by providing updated costing sheets.  These spread sheets contain all the information we use to discuss the costs of our settlement. It includes detailed information on salaries, benefits, and other costs associated with our compensation. The district found an error in how they moved teachers through the career steps and corrected those parts of the spreadsheet.  Because of this change, they updated their economic proposal.

Their updated proposal makes changes in their second year offer. They still offering step and lane movement plus a 1% increase on the career steps only in the first year. For ABE/ECFE, the first year offer is also unchanged at step and lane movement plus a 1.5% increase on the top step.  In the second year, they offer 1% on all cells except the career steps where they would increase by 1.5%.  For ABE/ECFE teachers, all steps would see a 1.5% increase in the second year.

Now, this is not really new money as these changes are funded by decreasing district contributions to health insurance. Health insurance contribution amounts would be listed in the contract as the hard dollar amounts the district is currently contributing, not percentages. So, any increase in premiums in the second year would be borne entirely by our members. The district asserts this offer is what is within the authority given to them by the school board of a 2.5% overall increase.

After caucusing, the AHEM team told the district the health insurance changes they proposed were a non-starter.  We also disagreed with the district's position that this was an improvement over our current contract. Despite the district's financial situation improving, we noted that as the proposal only moves money from district health insurance contributions to the salary schedule, it is actually worse than our last settlement.

We then moved on to our language proposals.  We proposed eliminating all extra duties for traveling teachers, not just those before and after student contact time as we do now.  We moved to add six days per year with substitute relief if needed for special education teachers for due process work. We proposed capping the number of sections an elementary specialist can teach at 42 half hour blocks or 21 hour long blocks.  We concluded with putting forward adding tech specialists at program sites as we do at elementary schools, adding pay for members of the Staff Development Committee at Level C, and changing the name of the Math Club to the more accurate Math Team. 

We concluded by asking for more dates for bargaining, preferably those that fit our every other Wednesday at 4:45 pm pattern.

Our next session will be October 2nd at the AHEM Office, 4:45 - 6:45 pm.

Side by Side Comparison of Current Proposals

Here is an update on where we are in bargaining so far. Below is a summary of what is currently on the table from each side. For more details, you can browse previous posts. Hope to see you at our next bargaining session Wednesday, September 18th, 4:45 pm, room 118 at the ESC!

Topic	AHEM Proposal	District Proposal
Salary Schedule	·       Step and lane movement both years ·       2.5% increase on all cells both years ·       Place ABE/ECFE teachers on the salary schedule with a 2.5% raise	·       Step and lane movement both years ·       1% increase on career steps only both years ·       For ABE/ECFE teachers, first year increase the top step only by 1%; second year increase all steps by 1%, except for the top step which would increase by 2%
Health Insurance	·       100% district contribution to Medica Choice Single plan (same as current) ·       Increase district contribution amount to the equivalent of 70% of the Elect/Essential Family plan	·       90% district contribution to Medica Choice Single plan ·       Maintain current contributions to family plans
Leadership Pay	·       Create a Leadership Pay Task Force to review ESA/Coaching/Leadership pay systems and make proposals we can use in the next round of bargaining ·       Increase pay for all ESA, Coaching, and Leadership positions by 2.5% ·       Eliminate pay levels E and F, and move all those positions to level D ·       Addition of some new positions	·       Addition of some new positions ·       No increase to ESA, Leadership, or Coaching positions ·       Eliminate Level F and move those positions to Level E, and increase the pay for Level D.
Other Language Items	·       Define Planning Time in the contract as unstructured, continuous time during Work Shop Week and at the end of trimesters ·       Add three planning days ·       Eliminate Sub Deduct Days ·       Increase the number of personal days from three to four ·       Create Substitute Leave where time off can be earned by subbing for colleagues during prep time ·       Include grandchildren as family members for whose care leaves can be used ·       Extend parental leave to mothers ·       Designate ten hours of conference time as Family Communication time to be used at teachers’ discretion	·       Create a “monitor” position with a stipend of $500 for online classes at the new StepAhead virtual school ·       Responded to our Substitute Leave idea with some modifications ·       Editorial changes regarding buy back language and site names ·       Editorial changes to bring us into compliance with the new marriage equality law