Your LTA Bargaining Team met again with the district on Thursday, June 28, 2012.  The purpose of this meeting was to negotiate Part 2 of the contract agreement with the district.  As a reminder, Part 1 included financial concessions for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 if the governor’s tax initiative passes in November in exchange for maintaining current class sizes for one more year, rescinding all the RIF notices and re-hiring most temporary teachers, as well as permanent contract language changing evaluations for veteran teachers to every 3 years, the creation of district-wide special education committee to address special ed concerns, guarantees of planning time at LMSTA, and other language changes, along with an MOU establishing a 10-hour limit on adjunct duties.  Part 1 was overwhelming approved by the LTA membership on Monday, June 25^th.  The purpose of the June 28^th meeting was to continue negotiating on the structure of potential financial concessions if the governor’s tax initiative does not pass, meeting time and teacher discretion time, the 12-month pay cycle, caseload limits in special education, and a re-opening date for the next contract negotiations cycle.

The Bargaining Team feels that both sides were close to reaching an agreement on the above topics that would have postponed the additional financial negotiations until October, when the consequences of the governor’s tax initiative failing would be more clear.  Unfortunately, in response to the final state budget, which increased possible cuts to schools from $441 to $457 per ADA if the tax initiative doesn’t pass, the district wanted additional contingency language that would re-open Part 1 for further concessions even if the tax initiative does pass.  We refused; Part 1 is settled and has been approved by our members.  We’re not re-opening it.  Knowing that the chances of there being a per-ADA-funding-cut if the tax initiative passes are minimal, the Bargaining Team offered contingency language to appease the district (basically, if the tax initiative pass and for some reason there is still an ADA cut of $100 or more, we would go back to the table for 2013-2014).  Even with these assurances, the district failed to accept our proposals, due largely, we believe, to the fact that Dr. Fred Navarro was no longer present at DO to guide the district’s bargaining team.

In a good faith effort to reach an agreement before the beginning of the school year, your Bargaining Team scheduled another meeting with the district on August 2, 2012 in hopes of wrapping up bargaining.  We hope that the district’s team comes with a willingness to share the financial risks we all face in the coming years and the ability to close the deal regardless of who is or isn’t sitting in the superintendent’s office.

(Still working on getting copies of the latest proposals and counterproposals scanned and posted.)