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Brainerd teachers voted and ratified the 2011-13 master teachers’ contract Monday, Superintendent Steve Razidlo said Monday night.
Razidlo said he was notified of the affirmative vote around 5:15 p.m. Monday by teachers’ union representatives. He said he wasn’t told the vote tally but that was usually the case on votes like this.
“I think this is good news for the students and staff and for the community,” Razidlo said.
The school board will meet at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Washington Educational Services Building board room to vote on the tentative contract agreement.
Education Minnesota Brainerd President Tim Edinger said at 6 p.m. Monday he would not confirm a vote took place or comment on a vote or contract negotiations until teachers have a new contract following Tuesday’s board meeting.
Razidlo said it was important to both sides seated at the negotiating table to finish contract negotiations before taxpayers vote on the two operating levy questions Nov. 8.
“It was important to us to have negotiations completed for a whole host of reasons and I’m happy we’re going to have a shot at doing that,” said Razidlo. “It’s a desire to be open and transparent with the public. It’s a desire to not have negotiations consume an academic year or to be ongoing. Teachers have their most important job to do and that is to provide great experiences for kids and we were hoping this could be done before the levy question but also to move out of the realm of public discussion where it can sometimes be a distraction.”
The district released details about the tentative agreement Monday. The new teachers’ contract, which would go into effect retroactively July 1, calls for no wage increases for the 2011-12 school year and a 2 percent salary increase for the 2012-13 school year. The contract also includes steps and lanes increases.
Before 2012, there haven’t been any increases to the salary schedule for teachers for three consecutive years.
The agreement also includes a reduction in health insurance benefits by increasing both the annual deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum paid for by each employee, as well as increasing the co-payments for prescription drugs.
Steve Lund, director of business services, said that based on previous year claims the reduction in benefits will shift about $350,000 of annual medical insurance costs from the school district to its employees.
Based on this collective agreement, Lund said a teacher still early in his or her career and eligible to move a “step” on the salary schedule will see an average increase in gross salary during the two years slightly beyond the average medical insurance costs and the required employee contribution to the state’s retirement plan. But a seasoned teacher at the top of the salary schedule won’t likely see an increase in salary sufficient enough to cover the insurance costs and the required retirement contribution during the two-year period.
This settlement won’t provide a sufficient salary adjustment that will allow all of the district’s teaching staff to see an increase in their net take-home pay, Lund said.
“One of the district’s main goals from our recently revised vision statement is to continue to attract high quality teachers,” Tom Haglin, a board member and chair of the Long Range Planning Committee, said in a statement released by the district.
“Students are performing well in our system and quality teachers are one of the main reasons why we get the results we do. This agreement is a demonstration of both employer and employees working together to best accomplish this goal, given the challenging times we all are facing.”
“I feel safe in saying that both sides feel the negotiation’s process was well organized and managed efficiently,” Chris Robinson, board member and chair of the Personnel Committee, said in a district statement. “Collective bargaining is a process of finding compromise to address important issues for both the employer and employee. Knowing this, both sides worked diligently on important issues for the future of our district and its staff, during a continued challenging time in our history.”
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
Comments (22)
Add commentPulling on the same rope
Sounds like a settlement between two parties who both understand the larger issues and what is at stake. Quick, fair and in line with the broader employment market today. So in the last two contracts the school board has put a cap on the post retirement costs and held wages stable 3 out of 4 years. There will still be some who think the board is not managing money well. Some of these changes are very important and won't be fully realized for years to come as other districts come to grips with ever rising costs.
step and lane increases
is not considered a raise? Good for them!
Step and lane...
Less than half of the staff can qualify for step advancement and less than that can move a lane. To say the contract includes step and lane increases is misleading. Most don't qualify. Sounds like the teachers have accepted three years running of no salary increases and several hits to health insurance: 2% in the fourth year won't cover all that. Thank you for getting this done before the levy vote. At least the public will know the facts about four years of teacher contracts. Yes Yes!
thank you teachers
for sacrificing for our children and taking no raise and paying more for health insurance. You showed us that you are in the same boat that most of us are in this community.
The teachers I know are at school at least an hour early and stay an hour late, and then they take home work. They bring classroom items not provided any more.
Teachers have 4,6 or even 8 years of education with college loans that they are paying for. They continually attend workshops and trainings so they keep up their skills.
There's no way I'd be in a room all day with 30-40 kids. That takes dedication and skill. Thank You. I will be voting YES YES on Nov. 8th.
Thank you bsbuster
for answering a question I was wondering about. And while I may sound offensive, I too have had no raise in 4 years and an increase in my benefits and my property tax. I still will be voting no. I have not forgotten the increase we all incurred to help with those retirement benefits; an action we were not able to vote on. And as long as I have an underwater mortgage, I will not vote for another hit to my taxes. Should we forget that we are still paying higher sales tax for a waste treatment plant that is finished?
Seems like a fair settlement.
Seems like a fair settlement. However, I am curious whether those at the top of the pay scale received another $800 "stipend"?
I will probably vote "yes" to maintain the current funding level. But vote "no" to any increase at this time.
Good posts bsbuster/snowda.
pdnet - One of the reasons I
pdnet - One of the reasons I will not vote for an increase is because of the levy action you mentioned.
just say NO!
they rammed that 13 year,15% increase down our throats without our vote.so j. ward, i'm voting NO till you resind that scam!
Moon - My understanding was
Moon - My understanding was that the referendum was voted on, and voted down. Then they subsequently found a loophole and crammed it down our throats anyway.
Anyone? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I am safe in saying that you are wrong
But seek those answers yourself. Mr Lund offered to answer any questions related to the levy perhaps you could get your information correct from him.
Yes and No on Local Levy
I will be voting yes to question 1 and no to question 2 in the upcoming levy. Why because in the final budget signed by Gov Dayton, it included a new formula to improve funding fairness between rural and metro schools. The Brainerd school district will receive an additional $328 per pupil which is more than the proposed increase relative to question 2. I wonder how many taxpayers know this . If you don't believe this information is accurate contact your local representative and ask the question for yourself.
No Drinker. I believe I am
No Drinker. I believe I am correct.
Wrong again
Wolfg you are completely wrong, like most of your posts. Take drinker's advice and contact Steve Lund for information like I have. He is willing to talk if you are willing to listen. Seek the facts and get through the untruths. Stop spewing about things you obviously know nothing about.
pdnet
Pdnet I am sorry that you are underwater on your mortgage. However this fact and your waste treatment plant comment have nothing to do with the schools or the teachers. Don't take it out on them. With the way home values are falling voting yes yes will have little effect on your property taxes. The voters need to stop blaming everything in this economy on our schools.
OK bsbuster - Please explain
OK bsbuster - Please explain what happened a few years ago. I asked for info if I was incorrect.
Also, I would be interested what other posts you believe I have stated incorrect info.
Levy
The levy a few years ago was a one time window of opportunity approved by the state legislature to allow school districts to create a local levy to help with post-retirement cost for employees. The Brainerd School Board decided to create this levy, without a vote, and has since created a trust fund that will last about 38 years! Most school districts that did the same have chosen to use that money right away for costs to retirees. Our District has made a fiscal responsible decision to create a trust that will last for decades, not just a few years. Some might say why cover any expenses to retirees? It is simple math to replace a veteran teacher with a new teacher and cover some expenses for a few years to the retired teacher. They still come out 10's of thousands ahead each year for each retired teacher. Those are the facts. Of course you or many others don't care to seek the facts as was shown in the lack of attendance (0) at the public meeting held last night at Forestview. Ask the questions to the people with the answers. You will find the District is not "wasting" money like some posters want others to believe.
Thanks for the info. That
Thanks for the info.
That levy freed up money that was being taken out of the general fund. I know that. I have never once said that the district was "wasting money"
Folks were not happy with that levy decision because it came right on the heels of the 2007 levy which was voted down. And again, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe some of that post-retirement funding was in the 2007 levy.
School levy misinformation
Please get your facts straight. Brainerd schools will not be getting an "additional $328 per pupil." All schools are only getting, in general, $50 per pupil to cover the financing costs associated with the state borrowing from the school districts to meet the state's bills. Schools with student counts under 1000 students (Brainerd has almost 7000) may get more, depending on a complicated formula. You can find the details at: http://www.mnrea.org/legUpdate.html.
I wonder which local representative gave out this misinformation? Maybe he should get his facts straight, too, before misusing information for political purposes. If you want to get this straight, research this on the internet first, or call Steve Lund at the school district and get the facts. Please vote yes, yes, as it's important for our local economy to have good schools.
Levy
If you want to make a connection to the general fund that's fine. Yes the opeb levy frees up some general fund dollars, but the 07 levy was for keeping programs and people, not retirement cost directly. Dozens of teachers and assistants were cut and class size rose. Many programs had to be eliminated but not because they were wasteful. The State approved opeb window opened at the same time only by coincidence and the School Board decided to exercise that levy. Lund has done a good job of steadying District finances since then and the opeb levy has helped him do so. The levy in two weeks is once again to keep people and programs at the current level.
Still wrong, Mr. Wolf
May as well add me to the growing list of those asking you to please get your facts straight. Easy to do.
To Pdnet, I guess I will also go along with those questioning how someone who is underwater on their mortgage can blame the school district.
Anyone who paid what was once--and still is--a safe down payment % on their house would still be above water on their mortgage unless something really unusual has gone on near your home to lower values dramatically.
And I would also point out that your property taxes would have gone up a LOT more if the new water plant was paid from local funds only. With the sales tax your tax burden is actually less than it would be without.
So the overpaid teachers are
So the overpaid teachers are finally doing what the rest of the working class have had to do, make a sacrifice. Wow hell froze over !
Finally?
You say they are "finally" making a sacrifice? This is their third consecutive year without a salary increase. Meanwhile the amount they pay towards retirement and health insurance out of pocket has kept increasing. There's no "finally" about it.
They've been sacrificing along with the rest of us.
The social security recipients are getting 3.6% this year. The teachers are getting 0%. Even if the social security folks get nothing next year when the teachers get 2%, they are still ahead by 1.6%. Maybe we should start calling the old and disabled population greedy, huh? How dare they get anything more until every single private sector worker is rich and happy, right?
Give these teachers a break.