Thursday, May 15, 2008

LC Board Rejects PERB Intervention Offer and Stands Firm Over $15.00 Difference on the Base



May 16, 2008 Vote NULL and VOID: LCEA Teachers Vote in "Good Faith", While LC Board of Directors Rejects Reasonable Offer

We are sad to report that we received an email today that shared our board's unwillingness to honor PERB's suggested "meeting point" to settle our contract. Instead, our board voted no over a $15.00 difference on the base.

Please share with the members in your building the following information. I was informed by Dr. Schweer this morning at 9:15 the following information: the board has rejected the supposal offer of $915 as presented by PERB. I believe the Board's offer of $900 is still on the table.

The vote we took today is null and void. We are still on board with Arbitration on May 28th at 4 p.m. at the Middle School. This is an open meeting. We encourage and need every member to be at this meeting. There is only $6000 difference in the $900 and the $915 offer. The board's arbitration offer is $850 and LCEA's arbitration offer is $950.

Please let your building representatives know how you feel. We are meeting as an executive board again on Monday, May 19th at 4 p.m. in my room to vote on the next move.

Your LCEA negotiation team
Beth Frank
Susan Drustrup
LoriAnn Brougham
Ashley Shipp
Dave Bergman

Once again, hats-off to our local Association leaders who have continued to represent us so well in the Negotiations process. We will meet Monday to discuss our next move in this disturbing development. Chief Negotiator Beth Frank and Negotiations Team Members: Dave Bergman, Loriann Brogham, Susan Drustrup, Ashley Shipp. Your work on behalf of us is greatly appreciated.

The LCEA Executive Board unanimously supported the Professional Negotiations Teams presentation of a 5.89% package for the 2008-2009 contract year. The LCEA Board also moved a point of personal privilege to thank the team for their hard-work this year. It is unfortunate that the Board has chosen to ignore our desire to find "common ground."

The package that the board rejected offered members a 5.89% raise on the base or $915.00. This offer did NOT include Teacher Quality monies that teachers will be paid during 2008-2009. We believe that the Board's offer of $900.00 is still on the table. We are uncertain as to how the LCEA Executive Board will react to this disappointing development.

Once we do find an agreed upon amount (perhaps with the help of intervention), our district will be paying future Teacher Quality and Phase monies during the entire year. This will be a change in the way that monies have been distributed in the past.

As you may know, the legislature rolled year one monies into the general school aid formula. This major ISEA victory ensures that a large portion of the monies are not subject to being randomly cut or shifted by future legislatures as a kind of "Phase III" sort of compensation.

THESE LANGUAGE CHANGES IN THE CONTRACT
ARE SETTLED. WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE BASE.


Article I Evaluation Current Contract
Article II Grievance Procedure Current Contract
Article III Employee Hours Current Contract
Article IV Seniority Current Contract
Article V Staff Reduction Current Contract
Article VI Leaves of Absence Agreed Change add(grandchildren)
Article VII Transfer Procedures Current Contract
Article VIII Vacations and Holidays Current Contract
Article IX Insurance Current Contract
Article X Payroll Deductions Current Contract
Article XI Wages and Salaries Agreed to TQ money and curriculum writing changed to $25.00 per hour
Article XII Supplemental Pay Current Contract
Article XIII Safety Current Contract
Article XIV Duration and Signature Clause Agreed to changes
Salary Schedules Current Contract with change on the base Addition of Special Olympics Position
Appendix A Current Contract
Letter of Memorandum Current Contract

ARTICLE VI
Leaves of Absence

A. Sick Leave

2. Family Illness Leave. Each employee will be allowed up to a maximum of five (5) days per year without deduction in pay for a serious illness, serious injury, surgery or hospitalization in the immediate family. The immediate family will include wife, husband, children, mother, father, father- or mother-in-law, grandchildren, brother or sister, or anyone living in the home of the employee. For purposes of this section, serious illness or serious injury shall be defined as an illness or injury requiring the attention of a licensed physician. Family illness days taken will be deducted from the employee’s sick leave.

ARTICLE XI
Wages and Salaries

A. Schedule. The salaries of all employees are covered by the regular salary schedule set forth and attached hereto. The base salary will increase by $550 to $26,050. $950 to $27,000.

I. Allocation of Teacher Quality Funding: Effective July 1, 2008, the Teacher Quality Funding that the District receives will be allocated such that each teacher will receive $2500 plus the percent of the remaining funds. The percent is the same as the existing base salary schedule. The Teacher Quality Funding will also cover IPERS and FICA.

G. Wages and Salaries. Curriculum Development: Employees whom the administrators select to participate in the process of writing and developing curriculum will be compensated at the rate of $22.50 $25.00 per hour.

ARTICLE XIV
Duration And Signature Clause

2. If by Board, to Association at:

Sharon Crawley Dave Bergman

Lewis Central Education Association

High School

3504 Harry Langdon Blvd.

Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503

E. Duration Period.

1. This Agreement shall be effective as of July 1, 2008 and shall continue in effect until June 30, 2009 except for the following:

a. the salary figures on the teachers' and nurses' salary schedule and the supplemental salary schedules shall be effective as of the first pay period of the 2008-2009 school year and shall continue in effect until the first pay period of the 2009-2010 school year except as modified according to the following formula; and

b. other salary and fringe benefits provisions shall become effective at the first pay period of the 2008-2009 school year and continue in effect until the first pay period of the 2009-2010 school year.

2. This Agreement shall automatically continue in force and effect for equivalent periods, except as articles are reopened for negotiation by either party during future collective bargaining.

F. Signature Clause.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective Presidents, attested by their respective Chief Negotiators, and their signatures placed thereon, all on the 15th day of May 2008.


LEWIS CENTRAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION LEWIS CENTRAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

LEWIS CENTRAL - SUPPLEMENTAL PAY SCHEDULE

2008-2009

(% Applied to BA Base)

SUPPLEMENTAL DUTY

4

5

6

7

8

9

Middle School







Special Olympics

3.9

4.0

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4