Deep Freeze: No Raises for Non-Union School Employees

The Whitefish Bay School Board approved a salary freeze for administrators, support staff and other non-union employees at a special meeting Wednesday night.

The 25 employees are also subject to the 5.8 percent pension contribution mandated under Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill. Unionized teachers are also subject to the pension contribution requirement, but are still able to bargain salary increases up to the consumer price index, which has yet to be handed down by state officials.

Whitefish Bay Superintendent Mary Gavigan said the employees affected by the action have been notified, and noted that the salary freeze has been discussed throughout the district’s budget process.

“This is not something I would endorse repetitively year after year, but given where we are at, and given the importance of putting together a balanced budget and balancing competing priorities...This was all part of our budget development discussions,” she said.

Salaries will be frozen for the 2011-12 school year, which begins July 1.

The board also approved employee handbooks that spell out revised benefits for those employee groups.

“What this does is put the savings in place that we need to bring our budget in line with the budget adjustment plan,” said Shawn Yde, the district’s director of business services.

Facing a projected $2.1 million cut in state aid, the School Board's calls for a reduction of the equivalent of 0.6 full-time employees. The state aid cuts were offset by the salary freezes, increased employee contributions to pension costs and health insurance plan design changes.

Wednesday's action comes after the School Board said before the budget repair bill becomes law, which means teachers will lose their collective bargaining agreement with the district.

Instead of a collective bargaining agreement, teachers would be employed with individual contracts, similar to those of administrators.