NTA Negotiations Update August 2008
The NTA would like to welcome back our current bargaining members and offer a warm welcome to our new bargaining unit members.
The following is a reminder of items currently on the bargaining table. While the district is waiting for the state budget to be settled your NTA bargaining team is eager to get back to the table. It is hopeful that we will begin negotiations in September.
Contract Proposals:
The Natomas Teachers bear the responsibility of educating the students of the Natomas Unified School District. Teachers work diligently providing a quality education by delivering knowledge and instruction, planning lessons, providing assessments to cover the California State Standards, and other essential tasks related to the education of our students. It is recognized that teachers are the best resource the NUSD has to offer its’ students. In order to preserve this vital resource the NUSD must recruit, retain, and reward its teachers. Our proposals will recruit, retain, and reward highly qualified teachers, increase student achievement, and close the achievement gap by:
Article IV and Article VI Salaries & Benefits
v Increasing salaries including adult education wages
v Increasing district contributions to health benefits
v Reconfiguring longevity
v Increasing substitution pay for retirees and off-track teachers
v Increasing tutoring wages & stipends
v Providing retirement incentives
Currently on the table:
Ø NTA’s Compensation Proposal: All bargaining unit members will receive 100% of state funded COLA to be added to the salary schedule. In years of no COLA or deficit COLA, a 2% increase will be added to the salary schedule. Increase in adult education salaries.
Ø NTA’s Health Benefits Proposal: All bargaining unit members will receive 100% of the dollar amount of the median family medical plan. This would eliminate any mandatory out of pocket expenditures.
Article X Class size
Lowering class sizes in grades 4-12
Article V Hours of employment
· Adjusting the school calendar for paid collaboration time.
Increasing elementary preparation time
Decreasing time spent on duties outside the classroom
Article XIII Special Education and Special Subjects Specialists
Developing language for special educations programs.
Currently on the table:
Special Education Issues: NTA presented specific Special Education language that focused on caseloads and/or class size using a formula that assigns point values dependent upon the severity of the disability. This point value would be used throughout all special education programs.
Ø Full Inclusion Program: NTA presented language regarding full inclusion programs at all sites and on all tracks and the need to have the previously agreed upon language in the contract.
Ø Psychologist Evaluation: A new form was presented by NTA regarding psychologists’ evaluations.
Ø Learning Center models: NTA proposed that each learning center be staffed by a min. of two FTE’s.
Ø Special Education class loads/caseloads to be lowered
Ø ILS classes will have a caseload of 10 students.
We wish you all an enjoyable and successful year.
NTA Bargaining Team
Cynthia Bluewater
Anthony Agrella
Susan Jellema
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2 comments:
Until we can determine a confidential manner for comments, NTA will hold off on publishing all comments - especially regarding negotiations strategy. What might appear to be censorship, as one commenter observes, to the experienced negotiator is quite another matter. At some point, we must be able to trust those we elect to deliver positive results when it comes to improving and protecting our members working conditions.
Just want to point out -- you are negotiating 2% increase in salary ... well, keep in mind that the current inflation rate is about 2.3% and it is expected to increase by .4%; so you are actually negotiating a pay-cut rather than a pay-raise
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