Reynolds Education Association Bargaining Session Update: September 17, 2014

September 17, 2014 REA Negotiations Update:

The meeting was held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the OEA office

REA presented counter proposals for Articles 22, 23, and 26 as follows:

Article 22 – Employee Compensation: An additional step shall be added to each column on the schedule at the same percentage increase as between the current top step and the step directly preceding it.  Members who were on the top step of a column during 2013-2014 or who were hired at the top step for 2014-2015 with more than the equivalent years of experience shall advance to the new top step.  In addition, effective July 1, 2014, base salary shall increase by 1.5%; July 1, 2015, base salary shall increase by 2%; July 1, 2016, base salary shall increase by 2%.

There was also discussion about possibly deleting Step 0 in year 2.

Current District Proposal:  Additional top step added and effective July 1, 2014, base salary shall increase by 1.5%; July 1, 2015, base salary shall increase by 1%; July 1, 2016, base salary shall increase by 1%.

Article 23 - Fringe Benefits: The District’s contribution toward fringe benefits shall increase each year as follows:

Effective October 1, 2014 increase from current $1,100 per month to $1,250 per month * $1,125

Effective October 1, 2015 increase from $1,250 to $1,350 per month * $1,150

Effective October 1, 2016 increase from $1,350 to $1,450 per month * $1,175

*Current District Proposal

Article 26 – Student Services: The work that was done away from the table resulted in a proposal from REA that contains more concise definitions and no longer includes staffing ratios.  The new proposal includes additional pay in the form of a 2.2% stipend which is equivalent to four additional paid days per year.  The proposal continues to also include the development of a Student Services Structure Committee that would meet at least quarterly to collaborate regarding services and review best practices, curriculum, staffing needs, the structure of services offered.

The District presented counter proposals on Articles 14, 18, and 26 as follows:

Article 14 – Paid Leaves of Absence: The District presented a counter proposal that would eliminate the current three days of emergency leave and replace it with three days of personal leave per year, includes a provision for three days of bereavement leave without having first exhausted personal leave, and includes REA’s proposal to take over the administration of their own Sick Leave
Bank, separate from the rest of the district employees.  After a counter proposal including one minor change to the sick leave bank language, this article was TA’d.

Article 18 – Student Discipline:  The District provided a counter proposal that responds to REA’s request for reasonable responses to referrals by including a 48 hour timeline for administrators to respond to referrals; includes appropriate training and protective equipment for those assigned to physically aggressive and combative students; and states that when District Administrators are provided with information from law enforcement agencies or from documented prior disciplinary incidents that indicates a student may pose a threat to the safety of staff, students, or school property, the administration will notify those members who the administrator determines need the information unless prevented from doing so by law.

Article 26 – Special Education and Student Services: The District presented a counter proposal that did not incorporate the more in-depth definitions from the REA proposal.  Stipend for special staff is now being proposed as a percentage (1.6%) rather than the last proposal of a flat rate ($800). Also still provides the substitute request component for completing progress notes but teachers who receive the stipend would no longer have the option to time card additional hours. 

Ten articles still remain open:

• Article 5 – Employee Rights
• Article 7 – Employee Work Year
• Article 9 – Teaching Hours
• Article 18 – Student Discipline
• Article 22 – Employee Compensation
• Article 23 – Fringe Benefits
• Article 25 – Reduction in Force
• Article 26 – Student Services
• Article 27 – Workload
• Article 31 – Duration of Agreement

Next Steps:

• Thursday, October 9 (rescheduled from October 15) from9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the OEA office
• Tuesday, October 21 from 9:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the OEA office.

Agenda for the next session will include: 

REA will provide counter proposals on Articles 18 and 25

The District will provide counters on Articles 22 and 23 and possibly Articles 5, 9, 26, and 27