Contract disputes can be complicated especially when they affect the education of our children. This is the case of a contract dispute with Brevard Public School teachers in Florida and their school board. The Brevard Federation of Teachers is not happy with the recommendations made by a mediator brought in after an impasse in negotiations. Both the union and the school district have now decided to present their cases at a hearing where the school board will act as judge.
The teachers union is not happy that the mediator sided with the school district to give raises to some of its teachers and others would receive a one-time bonus of $700 to those at the top end of the pay scale and $350 to those hired since pay freezes began in the district. The union feels that the district can afford to give all of the teachers pay raises if back-dated to Nov. 1.
The mediator sided with the district because he felt that a pay raise for everyone could lock them into a budget that they couldn't afford in the long run. The district wants to be careful not to over commit their financial resources, or it could mean future layoffs, which the district has avoided only having to do once in the last five years.
When negotiations began, the district offered only one-time bonuses, but an unexpected windfall occurred when enrollment dropped slightly. The district then felt that it could afford some raises and that's why they offered the option.
The teachers union is also going to bring up other issues with their contract and they include:
- How will the district adjust salary schedules so that new hires don't receive higher pay than currently employed teachers?
- Wage freezes are hurting current employees because they can't move pay levels while new hires salary stems with their years of experience. There is a discrepancy in pay.
- Teachers would like to have the flexibility to work off campus during planning time including 20 hours during the week before school starts.
It will be interesting to see how this contract dispute plays out with the school board. The teachers union is hoping that the school board will understand where they are coming from and both sides hope that they can come to a fair resolution.
Source: FloridaToday.com, "District, teachers head to hearing," Mackenzie Ryan, April 21, 2012
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