The Bethlehem Central Teachers Association has renegotiated its union contract with the school in a move that district officials said contains significant concessions and could save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The amended contract includes a two-year extension as the current one expires in 2010 and would carry through until the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Superintendent Michael Tebbano said if the renegotiated contract passes a union vote, it would save the district more than $600,000 by the end of next year.
`We have renegotiated the teacher’s contract and on Monday [April 20] we entered into a memorandum of agreement with the BCTA and the school district in what I would consider significant concessions that will garner huge savings in the next few years,` Tebbano told The Spotlight in an excusive interview on Wednesday, April 22.
The main concessions come in the form of deferring cost-of-living increases for four months next year and for three months the year after, but also include moratoriums on sabbaticals and professional development stipends, saving $97,500, and a freeze on coaching salaries, which will save $25,000.
There will also be a fringe benefit savings of $75,600 according to the terms of the tentative contract.
Information detailing some of the contract’s terms can be found on the district’s Web site at bcsd.k12.ny.us.
Retirement incentives are also being offered in hopes of replacing some teachers at a cost savings to the district, according to Tebbano, who said about 44 teachers are currently eligible to take advantage of early retirement over the next two years.
Currently, teachers are scheduled to receive a 3.25 percent cost-of-living increase, combined with step increases the union contract calls for an average of 5.63 percent in salary increases.
After next year’s cost-of-living adjustment, the new contract would give teachers a 2.75 percent cost-of-living increase in 2010-11 and a 2 percent increase in 2011-12 that could increase an additional 0.5 percent if the economy picks up.
It would be subject to the inflationary rate of that year, according to Tebbano.
The new contract is tentative at this point, according to district spokesman Matt Leon, and has to be voted on by the union and passed by two-thirds of its membership before it can be adopted by the board of education and put into effect. The teacher’s union currently covers 465 employees at the school.
Tebbano and the board of education formally announced the contract renegotiation during the April 22 board meeting when the district was adopting its $87.6 million budget for the 2009-10 school year.
Teacher representatives came back to the table and reached a new deal after previous talks broke down in February. The Bethlehem Board of Education held an executive session with union members on Wednesday, April 8.
However, the board didn’t hammer out all of the details and did not formally vote on any contractual changes that evening.
`The contract had the full support of the executive committee of the BCTA,` Tebbano said. `From what I understand, they will have an intensive information session over the next two weeks.`
Tebbano said that the executive representative council of the teacher’s union was supporting the new contract. Dave Rounds, president of the BCTA and executive representative, said it was an important step for the community.
`The agreement between the BCTA and the BCSD provides the community with significant savings during this difficult economic climate, while at the same time providing economic stability for the staff and the district,` Rounds said. `I believe the way the district and union were able to reach an agreement in this difficult environment is a tribute to the leadership on both sides. We will be able to maintain a quality educational program, save the community money, and maintain the integrity of working conditions. It is a good agreement for this community.`
Tebbano also said if the union does not adopt the new contract then full contract negotiations with the district will take place next year. Tebbano said if that happens `nothing would be guaranteed` and the cost savings from a new contract would be less immediate to the district.
He praised the BCTA’s decision to come back to the contract as a cost-saving measure, but also noted that it wasn’t a `job-saving measure,` as some teacher positions were already eliminated from the budget proposal before contract talks re-opened.
`The teachers were the ones who came forward,` Tebbano said. `I commend the teachers for not making demands on the school district. I want to be up front about that because they’ve been very honorable about this.`
Board of Education President James Lytle also thanked the union’s willingness to make concessions for the sake of the community and for education.
`We credit the union leadership who supported this proposal,` Lytle said at the April 22 announcement. `We are grateful to the teacher’s association for working with us.`
Lytle added that he didn’t know how unique the situation was but that he has heard of very few contract concessions around the state.
The BCTA is expected to vote on the new contract on May 5, and, if the union adopts it, the district’s Board of Education would have to vote on the contract amendment to make it official. Depending on the outcome of the union vote, the board of education is expected to adopt any contractual changes on May 20, after the districtwide budget vote.
Tebbano said the board has given him permission for a memorandum of agreement, which he said, `means the board is behind this.`
With 465 employees covered by the teacher’s contract, the district’s budget increases each year by hundreds of thousands of dollars just to cover the salary increases. There are two other union contracts with the district: The Bethlehem Central United Employees Association and Bethlehem Principals Association.
Tebbano said the board has reached out to the other unions, but that there `is nothing to report right now.`
The BCUE covers 509 employees, such as maintenance workers and other essential staff; and the BPA covers the district’s 16 principals and administrators that typically collect the highest salaries.
`I believe this is an excellent step for the teacher’s and for the school district, we’ve brought the salary increases under control,` Tebbano said. `I would like to emphasize we are not shortchanging the quality of our teaching staff … these are wonderfully competent individuals who work incredibly hard. … People move to this community because of this school district.“
