Negotiations Update

October 12, 2012 Your CTA Negotiations Team remains committed to three simple goals: More time for teaching students vs. more time for testing and meetings A path for step restoration vs. a confusing pay scheme Affordable insurance benefits vs. higher employee contributions for the same coverage The CTA Negotiations Team met with the Districts Team on Wednesday, October 10th from 10am to 4pm to continue contract negotiations. Most of the meeting was spent by the District presenting a case on why they could not afford the CTAs salary proposal. However, the conversation did produce several new facts. The District increased its instructional services budget from $958 to $963 million even though last year it only spent $860 million. We also learned from Mr. Burke that the District has a 7% undesignated reserve fund, which is approximately $107,105,388. This is approximately $61 million more than the law requires. The District did not move off of their minimum/maximum salary schedule. The District made several other proposals that mostly mirrored what they have already placed on the bargaining table with the exception of two items. One of those issues was childcare for employees. The District offered a 20% discount for employees who were not already receiving a discount if their child was in the District After-Care Program. CTA countered the offer and the following agreement was reached: Teachers who properly enroll their child(ren) in a District After School Child Care Program will receive a 25% discount. Employees already eligible to receive any other kind of discount will not receive a total discount of more than 25%. The discount is only for the hours of Before-School and After School Programs operating on regular student attendance days. The agreement will be implemented no later than forty-five (45) days after the agreement is adopted by the School Board.

The District offered to establish a committee to study issues and concrete ways to make team planning meetings more meaningful to the participants with the goal of moving student growth and achievement forward and with the understanding that if more can be accomplished during team planning, there will be less need to conduct so many meetings. While the CTAs team appreciates the new proposal, it would do nothing in the short term to eliminate the overwhelming number of meetings teachers are required to attend. The teams will meet again the week of October 22, 2012. When a date is set, teachers will be notified. Whats Next! A take action alert will be sent to your personal email address on Friday Oct 12th at after 4pm, want to be added to the CTA personal email list click here.

This is the time to ask your colleagues to join our union and STEP UP for Step Raises! A strong union is the best way to have a united voice for public education and teachers. Debra Wilhelm, CTA President