Negotiations Update

As most SPTA members know, the Negotiating Team has met with district administrators and members of the school board to explore budget solutions during the current recession. Some members of the Board had initially called for a pay freeze and then scaled that back to a reduction in the increase. When we sat down to talk about it, Board members were emphatic that they did not want to go below a zero percent tax increase nor to create any surplus on the backs of employees, but the 0% increase was important for the passage of the budget referendum.

Board members Rick Carter and Ralph Baxter Jr. met with us today (5/4/09) to say that they appreciated our openness to discussions, but that the 0% tax increase can be achieved without a reduction in the previously negotiated rate of increase. In short, we are no longer being asked to negotiate a reduction in salary increase for next year.

Next year is the final year of our three-year contract. We'll be negotiating a contract for 2010-2011 (and maybe subsequent years). Given the frequent downward corrections in state revenue forecasts and ever-larger slices of federal stimulus that are being consumed, we can expect lean negotiations to come. But for now, we can enjoy the fact that the contract is in tact and the Board appreciates our willingness to consider negotiating.