Arbitrators try to find middle ground

Arbitration reports for the teachers' and classified employees' contract negotiations with the Mat-Su school district appear to "split the baby," offering concessions to both sides.

Last week the Mat-Su Borough School District publicly released two separate arbitration reports -- one for the Mat-Su Education Association and the other for the Classified Employees Association. Previous contracts with these two labor groups, which together represent around 1,600 employees, expired at the end of June.

Both reports, filed by two separate, independent arbitrators, seem to strive to find a balance between the employees and school district in everything from salary and health insurance to non-monetary disputes.

"We hope it's a middle ground, something to start with," said Kathy Summers, MSEA vice president. She said it did appear that the arbitrators worked to listen to both sides and find a compromise that "split the baby."

For example, the teachers' union asked for a 5-percent increase in the first year of the contract to the overall wage schedule, which is broken down into step increases for each year an employee works and additional education he or she requires. For the next two years of the contract, the teachers requested a wage increase equal to that of the consumer-price index for Anchorage plus 2 percent, in addition to the step increases.

On the other hand, the district proposed eliminating the zero step on the salary schedule the first year, effectively raising the base salary by 5 percent, and adding a 2-percent, across-the-board increase to the salary schedule in the second and third years.

Taking into consideration testimony from both employees and central administration, the arbitrator suggested deleting the zero step as the district proposes but also adding 2 percent to the overall schedule in the first year. In years two and three, the report says, the salary schedule would increase to meet cost of living but by no more than 2 percent.

The report for CEA contract negotiations was similar. The CEA, too, asked for a 5-percent increase the first year followed by 2-percent increases plus the Anchorage CPI each of the following two years.

The district, instead, proposed no increase to the wage schedule the first year, although employees would still continue up the existing salary schedule by steps. In years two and three, the district offered 2-percent increases to the overall schedule.

In response to the two sides, the report recommended 2.5-percent increases to the salary schedule each of the three years of the contract, which the arbitrator said would likely meet any rise in the cost of living.

Both reports went on to also address health insurance costs, leave days, job descriptions and other areas of concern for the unions and district.

In the end, though, these reports are merely advisory with no binding power, and the unions and district have yet to meet to discuss them. With many employees gone for summer vacation, union leaders say it may be mid- to late-August before they can return to the bargaining table.

Once at the table, it appears doubtful that either the unions or district are prepared to quickly agree to anything.

"It's close, but not quite there," said Ron Rucker, CEA vice president. Both the CEA and MSEA have expressed doubt that the recent contract approved for the district's 11 mid-level managers followed the arbitrator's report for CEA, as both the district and supervisors claim.

Rucker said the CEA strongly believes the mid-level managers actually came out better than it appears on paper but said he does not yet have the numbers to back up his claims.

"We are working on trying to quantify that," Rucker said. He said on the surface the supervisors' contract appears to be in line with the arbitrator's report, but breaking the numbers down, for example into days worked versus overall salary, he said it seems they got a better deal than what is proposed for classified employees. This most likely will be among the contentious items brought up when the union and district resume talks.

The district, however, is remaining relatively tight-lipped about what will be on the table during those talks.

When asked if the arbitration reports could end up being a district offer, Interim Superintendent Bob Doyle said that was a discussion that would have to happen at the bargaining table, not in the press.

"We have it. They have it," Doyle said of the report. "We would want to sit down and talk to them about it."