Major Vote Set for T/E Teachers Contract

There is much at stake when the Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board meets tonight to take a second vote on a state fact finder's report on the T/E District teachers' contract.

The Tredyffrin Easttown Education Association union (TEAA) has approved the report. In a statement released Saturday night, .

If approved by the board Monday night, the report would become the basis for a new contract.

Here are some of the details of Fact Finder Timothy Brown's report that the T/E School Board will be voting on Monday night. 

It is an "all or nothing" vote. That means that the district cannnot make revisions. It can either approved the entire report, which would then become the contract, or reject it. The TEEA has approved it.

• Salaries:

The School District has proposeda two year wage freeze. The union wants a wage increase in the second year of the contract plus a $1,000 bonus for some teachers.

The Fact Finder says this about salaries:

As an “outsider looking in” it appears to the undersigned that the District is relatively wealthy and that the School District is a jewel that provides not only a high level of education but also attracts residents to live within its geographical boundaries and thereby supports high property values.

Such should cause the District and its residents pause in considering any effort to underfund the District. Similarly, it cannot be the subject of honest debate that District employees have been and continue to face difficult personal economic conditions. The times demand prudence by all concerned. I believe it is a prudent and good investment for the District to recognize the reasonableness of the Union’s wage proposal, (although not necessarily agree to it) and the valuable contribution of its employees to the mission of the District..

The Fact Finder recommends a freeze in the first year, but raises in the second year and a $300 bonus.

• Health Insurance:

The teachers union proposed a 7% premium share in the first year and an 8% premium share in the second year.  The district proposed that employees pay  20% of the premium costs and any extra premium costs for smokers. The district also wanted to make insurance available to employees only and not family members.

The Fact Finder's report again basically says that the district is wealthy and-as a result- needs to pay more.

Although the District’s wish and effort to cut costs and avoid tax increases are in many respects commendable and responsible considering recent economic conditions, avoiding tax increases in an economically privileged district such as Tredyffrin-Easttown simply cannot be considered an untouchable and faultless excuse for all things dollar- saving without being subject to examination and question. Here, considering the realities of it’s financial condition, and its educational and financial goals, there is absolutely no good reason why this School District would not offer more than single medical insurance coverage to its teachers.

The process of education through public schools is a fundamental family value that at its core supports the education of the children of the District’s families through the efforts of teachers, administrators and support personnel who are breadwinners of families themselves and thereby share the values and goals of the District’s residents. There is no defensible reason for this School District - this School District that is one of the richest and best performing school districts in the state - to champion any proposal that would pressure and weaken the families of the teachers who serve the District’s families; removing medical insurance coverage from the children and families of teachers would do just that and I cannot recommend such.

The Fact Finder report recommends two options on health insurance:

The first (C4F4O2) with 5% premium share in year one; 6% premium share in year two  or   The second (C2F2O2) with 8% premium share in year one; 10% premium in year two.

[For a full explanation of what the Fact Finder report says on health insurance click on the pdf file attached to this story]

• Reimbursing teachers for unusued sick days:

On this issue the Fact Finder again calls out the School Board and District for trying to save costs without raising taxes. The report's recommendation says:

“Although the Board is faced with very real financial challenges, it
appears from the overall position of the District at bargaining that the District’s School Board is more comfortable seeking savings from the most convenient (and perhaps the weakest) group of individuals in the process of providing education to District children -the District’s employees - than exercising the leadership required to seek the funds necessary to operate the District at the very high level expected by District residents from the very residents who enjoy its success.”

The Fact Finder goes on to say this about the district's proposal to reduce the amount it reimburses teachers for unused sick days:

“It is unrealistic for the District to present a list of reductions to virtually every hard-won economic benefit realized by the bargaining unit through the exercise of its lawful collective bargaining rights over the years without also seeking substantive increases from tax payers for the education of their own children.

The Employer has not offered sufficient justification for the reductions in benefits sought and I recommend no change in the existing language of the Agreement relating to unused sick leave.”

What led up to this report:

Back in June the Tredyffrin Easttown Education Association (TEEA) and the T/E School District reached what the teacher's union considered an impasse in the contract talks that have been going on for over a year.  The TEAA exercised the right that either side in the talks had to request a state fact finder. 

The Fact Finder's job is to look at the unresolved contract issues and the arguments surrounding those issues as presented by both sides. From those arguments the fact finder makes a determination and issues a report which both sides must vote on before the recommendations are made public. The entire report must be accepted or rejected without any changes.  If both sides agree then the Fact Finder's report becomes the new contract. If both sides don't agree, it's back to the bargaining table.

The TEAA voted to approve the report on August 6. The T/E School board voted to reject it on August 9.

What Happens Next:

The school board has a second vote scheduled for Monday and could still accept the entire report after hearing public comments.  Statements from the board indicate that's probably not going to happen (See "next steps" pdf), but nothing is definite until the vote on Monday night, August 20 at 8 p.m. at the School District Administration offices at 940 West Valley Road in Wayne, Tredyffrin Township.