Pasco School Employees Ratify New Contracts
Pasco teachers and employees will receive a supplement just in time for the holidays. After counting just under 6,000 teacher and school related personnel (SRP) votes, the United School Employees of Pasco announced approval of the most recently negotiated contracts with the District School Board of Pasco County.
Sixty-six percent of eligible employees cast ballots on Thursday, November 19, 2009. The USEP Election Committee counted the ballots Monday night at the office of the United School Employees of Pasco. 88 percent of the teachers and 93 percent of SRP voted in favor of the tentative agreements which provide “stabilization supplements” for teachers and SRP and continue fully-paid employee health insurance.
The protracted negotiations lasted five months, with the teams meeting fifteen times. Financial negotiations hit a road block when health insurance increases for the 2010 year came in at almost twice the budgeted amount and the school board and superintendent balked at paying step increases and instead offered one-time bonuses, citing concerns over the State’s reliance on nonrecurring federal stabilization funds to plug this year’s budgetary holes.
The USEP bargaining teams spent three weeks surveying teachers and SRP before returning to the table to negotiate economics. After several more sessions, the sides came to an agreement that maintains the fully-board-paid insurance package, at an increase of $667 per employee and provides supplements in lieu of salary increases. Unlike bonuses, supplements count toward credit in the Florida Retirement System and are taxed at an employee’s normal rate, not a higher bonus rate. The sides also agreed to provide differing levels of supplements based upon experience.
After analyzing all of the figures, the USEP bargaining teams determined that the settlement, although “disappointing,” was realistic based upon the District’s current financial status. “This is the third year in a row that we’ve faced protracted negotiations,” USEP President Lynne Webb remarked. “Unfortunately, that seems to be the case during tough economic times. While the supplement will put a little extra in employees’ pockets heading into the holidays, it does little to improve their standard of living or make up for two years without raises.”
Employees had over two weeks from the date the tentative contract agreements were signed on October 29th to review the terms of the tentative agreements. Both the USEP Executive Board and Representative Council voted unanimously to recommend the settlements to the teachers and SRP, and last Tuesday, the School Board voted to accept the tentative agreements contingent upon employee ratification. Supplement checks will be issued to all eligible employees on December 18th.
“The results show acceptance of the settlement, but don’t mistake
acceptance for satisfaction or endorsement,” Webb stated.
“Unfortunately the economic situation for next year won’t be much
better unless our elected officials find ways to raise additional
revenue, so let’s focus our attention on the legislature which has
failed to adequately fund education and urge the District to start
realigning their priorities now to ensure a better outcome next
year.”