Negotiations continue between District 289 Board and MEA

Teachers' strike could begin Oct. 16

Jennifer Sommer
Posted 10/15/19

MENDOTA – Mendota Elementary School District 289 Board of Education and Mendota Education Association met with a federal mediator again on Oct. 10 in an attempt to resolve the contract dispute.

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Negotiations continue between District 289 Board and MEA

Teachers' strike could begin Oct. 16

Posted

MENDOTA – Mendota Elementary School District 289 Board of Education and Mendota Education Association met with a federal mediator again on Oct. 10 in an attempt to resolve the contract dispute.

"In a typical bargaining session, offers are traded back and forth, one at a time. On Oct. 1, the board presented the last offer of the evening and then received the union’s intent to strike notice. When the board arrived at the negotiation meeting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, we anticipated an offer from the union in a short amount of time, since 10 days had passed to contemplate their next proposal," stated Sean Pappas, District 289 board president, in a recent press release.

Pappas continued, "What we received was a series of questions from the union. The board worked to answer those questions, and using the numbers mutually agreed upon, tried to determine how the union was arriving at their calculations. While the board and union disagree to some extent on the number of teachers to include in the calculation, the fact remains the same: we are not close to an agreement."

MEA co-president, Brandon Scheppers, argued that the district continued to use incorrect numbers regarding MEA members and retiree placements on the salary schedule, resulting in three hours of talking before the board agreed to use "previously agreed upon numbers."

"Through the mediator, we also questioned additional proposals that have been left out of the media releases regarding the salary schedule. The board provided no response to the mediator concerning those issues," Scheppers added.

After nearly four hours of back and forth with these matters, Scheppers said the MEA sent their proposal, resulting in over a $40k savings for the district in regard to TRS contributions. "Within minutes of sending our proposal, the mediator asked if we would be willing to wait an additional 10 minutes for a board counter. The mediator returned moments later with what the association believes is a previously prepared offer that the board has been sitting on," he said.

MEA's press release continued: "This newest board proposal offers two compensation/language packages, one which reiterates the board’s Oct. 1 proposal and the second which completely eliminates family insurance. The second package also offers TRS amounts in the identical rates that the association proposed at the Oct. 1 bargaining session. Seeing as these TRS amounts are different than what we proposed just 10 minutes before, the association once again questions whether this proposal was created prior to our mediation session.

"The board’s proposal of the loss of family insurance will be yet another instance in which the association is compelled to seek legal action by submitting an additional charge to the Unfair Labor Practice with the Illinois Labor Relations Board for Regressive Bargaining. A new proposal for eliminating a significant benefit such as family insurance cannot be proposed in good faith in the last stages of bargaining. That now brings the total to two charges to the Unfair Labor Practice filed against the Board.

"How does this district intend to make itself appealing to new hires by eliminating benefits?  How does the district expect to retain quality teachers by eliminating family health insurance? How can this district force teachers to choose between a reasonable retirement for themselves and insurance for their families?"

Salary schedule:

The board offered an explanation of a teacher salary schedule. The teacher’s salary schedule is a vertical and horizontal matrix that has built-in opportunities for up to three pay increases every year:

*Base increase: a defined percentage increase to the base salary applied to all teacher salaries annually.

*Step increase: a defined increase applied to all teacher salaries each year they remain employed by the district. After each year a teacher is employed until reaching the bottom step of his/her salary lane (i.e. step 21 in the MS+40 lane), the teacher moves down a step on the salary schedule and receives the step increase.

*Lane movement increase: a defined salary increase that a teacher receives upon completion of approved graduate coursework. Lane increases are in addition to step and base.

Pappas said the board and union are close on one issue: base increase. The board’s offer on Oct. 1 included a 4 percent base raise in year one, 4.5 percent in year two and 4.5 percent in year three of the contract. This base increase is received by all teachers as described above.  

The board and union remain further apart on the compensation issues regarding step and lane movement and the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) contributions, he added.

The 2016-2019 contract created the step and lane increases each year. The increase for the last year of that contract, 2018-2019, was based upon 4.5 percent of the base salary for each movement on the salary schedule. The union has indicated their desire to keep the calculation of the step and lane increase amount as 4.5 percent of the base salary, according to Pappas.

He noted that the board has proposed paying a flat step and lane factor of $1,405 in year one, and $1,410 in years two and three. The step and lane factor in the last contract year (2018-2019) was $1,400 which was 4.5 percent of the 2018-2019 base pay.

"A flat rate step and lane salary schedule has the benefit of allowing for larger base salary increases. We believe that it creates a more equitable growth factor for all certified staff, keeping the district’s salary expenses within district means," Pappas said.

The board offered to increase the annual board-paid TRS contributions from 2 percent to 3 percent on behalf of each certified employee. TRS contributions are a state-mandated pension plan, which requires each TRS member to contribute 9 percent of their annual salary to the plan. Any board-paid TRS contribution on the teacher’s behalf is considered credible earnings (salary). Therefore, these contributions are considered an additional increase in compensation above and beyond the base raise, and the step and lane increases.

Health insurance:

The board currently pays 90 percent of the cost of single health insurance coverage and 85 percent of the cost of family health insurance.

To offset the rising costs of insurance premiums, the board has proposed an increase to the employee’s contribution to the cost of family health insurance from 15 percent to 16 percent in the first year, 17 percent in the second year, and 18 percent in the third year of the contract.

The board proposes no increase to the employee’s contribution to the cost of single health insurance.

In an effort to offer a total compensation package that is more equitable to surrounding districts, while also providing the family coverage that is important to many union members, the board offered the following proposal on Oct. 11.

To all members:

*Base increases of 4 percent year one, 4.5 percent in years two and three.

*Step and lane increments of $1,405 in year one, and $1,410 in year two and three.

* Single insurance: 90 percent board paid coverage.

The offer then included a choice, allowing each teacher an option that best meets their needs:

Choice 1: (Insurance)

* For a teacher that chooses family insurance, the board would continue to provide coverage, using employee contributions of 16 percent, 17 percent and 18 percent annually over a three year contract.

* Additionally the board-paid TRS contribution would increase from 2 percent to 3 percent.

Choice 2: (TRS)

* For teachers that do not opt in to family coverage, the board would pay a larger contribution to the teacher’s TRS: 6 percent in year one, 6.75 percent in year two, and 7 percent in year three.

* While there would be no future option for family insurance coverage paid by the district, the plan would still be available for employees to purchase.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the association offered to meet on Oct. 14, said Scheppers. "The board rejected that date, stating they were unavailable. The board offered to meet on Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. The association suggested an 8 a.m. start time but is willing to meet at any time on that day. Mendota Elementary Teachers want to remain in the classroom and will continue to bargain in good faith with the board," he said.

The negotiation meeting is scheduled for Oct. 15. The teacher strike is anticipated to begin on Oct. 16 unless a resolution is reached.

The board remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached. "We know that the strike is not in the best interest of our students, and our community," offered Pappas.