UTN Offers to Take a Pay Freeze

On April 14, the offered a counter proposal to the administration, in which they offered to take a 0% increase to their salaries and no cash payment of step increment for the current school year as part of a four year contract.

 That action alone, according to the union, would save the district $1.66 million. A PDF of the statement is attached to this article.

The June 30, 2010.

Years 2 through 4 would be tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with no cash payment of step increment in the second year. Although no details are given, the statement notes that “if the economy is not improving, the teachers will not get a raise, and more importantly, any raise is tied to what the economy dictates.”

In year 3 the union has agreed to cut their steps by 50%. According to the statement, expected savings to the district in years 2 through 4 is $2.5 million.

The union has been working without a contract since June 30, 2010. After 16 meetings with the district, the two sides declared an impasse and have gone to mediation.

The union had originally proposed the following on August 25, 2010:

• Year 1 (2010-2011):  2% plus increment (4.98% total)
• Year 2 (2011-2012): 2.25% plus increment (5.23% total)
• Year 3 (2012-2013): 2.5% plus increment (5.48% total)
• Year 4 (2013-2014): 2.75% plus increment (5.73% total)

In a presentation he made to the public on March 28, district counsel John Gross said that original proposal would have a total cost for the entire unit, including increment, of $12,614,000.

The district’s current proposal, made on Nov. 22, had asked for a two-year contract from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2012, and included the following:

• A hard freeze for the first year, in which unit members would receive a 0% increase and no step increment.  A hard freeze is a permanent loss of the across-the-board increase and increment.
• A freeze on base pay in the second year, with a ½ year increment freeze: There would be a one-time cash payment of $900 for teachers, $450 for nurses, and $350 for teaching assistants, plus the payment of increment to eligible unit members beginning March 1, 2012. Any further increases must be paid for by give backs.
• The elimination of the weighting of students
• Agreement to the District’s annual professional performance review (APPR), with the appeals procedure ending with the Superintendent of Schools. The UTN proposes that the process end with a panel of teachers.

The union’s April 14 statement takes into account the tax certiorari lawsuit filed by LIPA seeking to reduce its tax payments made to the district, and offers the following contingency plan:

• A 0% increase and no step for that school year, or the subsequent school year, at the discretion of the District, if the tax certiorari case results in a tax revenue reduction to the district of 80% or more, less any government funds to offset the reduction, in any year of the contract
• A 50% reduction in step for that school year, or the subsequent school year, at the discretion of the District, if the tax certiorari case results in a tax revenue reduction to the school district equal to or greater than 50% but less than 80%, less any government funds to offset the reduction, in any year of the contract
• A25% reduction in step for that school year, or the subsequent school year, at the discretion of the District, if the tax certiorari case results in a tax revenue reduction to the school district equal to or greater than 25% but less than 50%, less any government funds to offset the reduction, in any year of the contract

The new proposal still wants any decision to fire a teacher who receives two consecutive “ineffective” annual evaluations to be reviewed by a panel, rather than the Superintendent.

According to the statement, UTN President Antoinette Blanck said she would not allow Northport teachers to be “vilified” when the Union has offered financial sacrifices. “We remain proud members of a school community which values education and is supportive of our District’s many rich programs. Although parents and other community members are concerned about the District’s future, as is the UTN, we are confident that they will see the District’s position as divisive.”