2015 Bargaining Update #3
The LTA Bargaining Team has again presented comprehensive proposals to the district, making a good-faith effort to reach an agreement. In particular, the LTA team proposed signing 2‑year MOUs on some of the more significant changes – summer and mid-year pupil-free days, planning time at preschool, elementary and the middle school, class-size ratios and caps – allowing the district to limit the financial impact of these proposals to that which has already been budgeted in the current LCAP plan. The district reacted favorably, responding with 2-year MOU proposals of their own on summer PD/planning and planning time for preschool, elementary and the middle school teachers. This is significant progress and means that the teams may be as close as negotiating final language on these pivotal issues at the next bargaining session.
Progress was also made in the area of compensation, though less dramatic. The LTA team reduced its demand for a 7% salary increase to 6% in recognition of future funding uncertainty as Prop 30 tax increase expire and to help off-set the district’s increased CalPERS obligation in coming years. The district modified its original offer of a 1% permanent “on‑schedule” salary increase plus a one-time 4% “off-schedule” increase to a 2% on-schedule increase plus a 3% off‑schedule increase. They also offered to increase the hourly rate from the current $34/hr to $36/hr; LTA continues to demand $40/hr in recognition of all the overtime work teachers are doing to support the district as we transition to the Common Core. Finally, the district is still resisting any increases to employee benefits, but has at least shown a new willingness to discuss cleaning-up and clarifying some issues with existing contract language on benefits.
As always, the LTA team is committed to improving the learning environment for students and the working conditions for teachers in Lennox. We believe our proposals will help meet the needs of teachers and assist the district in the era of Common Core and LCFF/LCAP. It is our desire to reach an agreement before the end of the school year, but not at the expense of achieving important goals that will help our students, benefit our members, and be consistent with the priorities of the Lennox community. Members of your Bargaining Team will be visiting all schools during the weeks of June 1-5 and June 8-12 to give you a more detailed update and answer any questions you may have; please plan on attending, and remember to wear your blue LTA t-shirts again on June 12 when the Bargaining Team meets with the district one last time before the school year ends.
download the LTA bargaining proposal #2 (5-28-15)
download the district’s counter-proposals #2 (5-28-15)
LTA Proposal #2 Highlights (changes from LTA proposal #1 in red):
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ARTICLE 6: COMPENSATION & BENEFITS · Increase salaries by 6%; increase extra-duty pay rate to $40/hr · Increase health benefits across all medical plans, evening out contributions so the district contributes the same amount to the plans of each carrier (currently Kaiser and Health Net), and establish a mechanic so that district contributions to employee-only, employee-plus-one, and family medical plan options increase each year relative to a reference plan in their own category · Increase service credit for prior teaching experience to 10 years (and adjustment salary schedule placement for current teachers who had more than 5 years of prior experience when first hired) · Grant full service credit for all experience in any setting to fully-credentialed Speech and Language Pathologists (and adjustment salary schedule placement for current SLPs who had more than 5 years of prior experience when first hired), and increase the SLP stipend to $4,000/yr to attract and retain specialists for these hard-to-fill positions ARTICLE 7: WORK YEAR & HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, district would offer 3 voluntary PD/planning days before school starts in August, paid at $300 each; at least 50% of each day would be teacher-directed planning time [MOU] · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, add 3 pupil-free work days to the calendar during the year, paid at the per diem rate; at least 50% of each day would be teacher-directed planning time [MOU] · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish 100 minutes of preparation time/wk for preschool and elementary teachers [MOU] · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish 1 period of preparation time for middle school teachers [MOU] · Eliminate morning yard duty · Extend “first Friday” minimum days to all first Fridays, not just 9/yr · Clarify and reorganize existing language defining the teacher work day, student start and end times, minimum days, super minimum days, and flex calendars; clarify and reorganize existing language on adjunct duties, as well as Back-to-School Night, Open House Night and after-school Parent Conferences ARTICLE 9: CLASS SIZE · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish grade-span student-teacher ratios [MOU]: o TK-1 20:1 o 4-5 27:1 o 2-3 24:1 o 6-8 29:1 with a planning period · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish class-size maximums, in most cases 2 higher than the averages above [MOU] ARTICLE 21: SPECIAL EDUCATION · Increase teacher input on district special education program with the LTA/LSD Special Education Committee meeting monthly · Create caseload caps for SDC teachers, and lower existing caps for RSP teachers and Speech and Language Pathologists · Clarify and reorganize existing language on regular ed teachers’ rights regarding student IEPs |
District Counter-Proposal #2 Highlights (changes from District Counter-Proposal #1 in red):
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ARTICLE 6: COMPENSATION & BENEFITS · Increase salaries by 2% permanently, plus a one-time, off-the-salary-schedule bonus of 3% · Increase in the extra-duty pay rate to $36/hr · Willing to discuss clarification and reorganization of existing language, better definition of which plan is the “reference plan,” but no increase in health benefits · Agree to increase service credit for prior teaching experience to 10 years (but no adjustment for current teachers who had more than 5 years of prior experience when first hired) · Agree to grant full service credit for all experience in any setting to fully-credentialed Speech and Language Pathologists (but not retroactively but no adjustment for current teachers who had more than 5 years of prior experience when first hired), and increase the SLP stipend to $4,000/yr ARTICLE 7: WORK YEAR & HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, district would offer 3 voluntary PD/planning days before school starts in August, paid at $300 each; at least 50% of each day would be planning time, though not necessarily teacher-directed planning time (same as last year’s model) [MOU] · Reject LTA proposal to add 3 pupil-free work days to the calendar during the year, paid at the per diem rate · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish weekly prep time for preschool and elementary teachers (exact number of minutes not specified) [MOU] · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish 1 period of “planning and collaboration” time for middle school teachers (no guarantee, though, that it would be teacher-directed planning and collaboration time) [MOU] · Maintain the number for Friday minimum days at 9/yr · Reject LTA proposal eliminating morning yard duty · Agree to clarify and reorganize existing language defining the teacher work day and flex calendars, but reject LTA proposals to clarify student start and end times (including minimum days); district proposes allowing schools (principals and SLTs) to determine start/end times · Agree to clarify and reorganize existing language on Back-to-School Night, Open House Night and after-school Parent Conferences, and willing to discuss LTA proposals to clarify adjunct duties ARTICLE 9: CLASS SIZE · For 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, establish grade-span student-teacher ratios [MOU]: o TK-1 20:1 o 4-5 27:1 o 2-3 24:1 o 6-8 29:1 with a planning period · Reject all class size caps ARTICLE 21: SPECIAL EDUCATION · Agree to clarify and reorganize existing language on regular ed teachers’ rights regarding student IEPs · Allow Director of Special Ed and LTA/LSD Special Ed Committee to determine the number of times per year it will meet · Reject caseload caps for SDC teachers and lowering of existing caps for RSP teachers and Speech and Language Pathologists |
download a copy of the LTA Bargaining Update #3
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