Schools

D122 Teacher Salaries Will Remain Flat in 2011-12

The Board of Education approved the district's collective bargaining agreement with teachers Wednesday after months of discussion.

Following months of discussion with the teachers union, the New Lenox School District reached an agreement that will keep salaries flat next year and provide slight increases the following two.

The District 122 Board of Education unanimously approved the agreement Wednesday, receiving applause from the teachers and representatives who served on the collective bargaining team with the union.

On Tuesday, teachers voted in favor of the plan 295-18. It will keep salaries stagnant through 2012, followed by a 1 percent increase in 2012-13 and a 1.75 percent increase in 2013-14. The district will release an updated salary schedule soon to show the amount a teacher would make depending on years of experience and degree earned. (To see the current agreement, see the PDF attached to this article.)

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The salary agreement stretches just three years, while the rest of the collective bargaining agreement, including things such as retirement and health plans, is good for five years. That strays from the current salary agreement, which expires this summer and was approved in 2006.

“We as a district and teachers both have the interest in having some stability, having the ability to plan," Superintendent Mike Sass said. "But the current economic situation with the state makes it difficult to predict."

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The state's economic situation is why the sides agreed to just three years for salaries and will revisit the issue then. Sass, who was concerned the teachers might not even want a multi-year agreement, said he was grateful both sides were able to cooperate. 

“They have their own families to take care of, but they also see the big picture for the district," Sass said.

Dan Zadorozny, president of the New Lenox Council for the American Federation of Teachers Local 604, agreed.

"In normal bargaining, anything in your contract with a dollar sign, you look to put more dollars into," Zadorozny said. "We did not take that approach. We were very cognizant of the state, of our school district. We were going about it in a very responsible way."

Teachers will also keep the amount they contribute to health care plans at 15 percent. But even though they pursued keeping cost containment caps flat, it will be reduced to 8 percent. That means that the district will work to keep health care costs as low as possible, and if premiums rise more than 8 percent the next year, a health care committee will have to determine the best way to cut that cost. Sass said this is good news for the district because costs won't rise past that 8 percent, and that it could also give teachers motivation and incentive to keep the costs down.

"Within the confines of bargaining we did not walk away with everything we liked," Zadorozny said. "But in the spirit of collective bargaining, that’s what it is."

Also written into the agreement is that the district will offer a health savings account consumer-drive plan at some point during the contract. Sass said this is because the district has such a diverse staff, with teachers ranging in age from 22 to 62 and up, that every family has different needs with its benefits. It’s up to the district's health care committee to educate staff on this plan and how it compares with PPOs and HMOs. The district will pursue a plan when the board feels comfortable with the option, which Sass suggested could be a year into the future.

Another notable change is that, given the state's new law recognizing civil unions, the district added language to its agreement that will recognize civil union partners along with spouses.

Following the Board of Education meeting, teacher representatives and district officials shook hands and appeared happy the months of discussion were over.

"Any time you collectively bargain, there’s opportunity for friction,” Sass said. "I’m glad we’re getting the agreement done long before the school year starts, and we maintained a good spirit during discussions.”


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