Compromise announced in school union talks

PALMER — The school district has reached tentative agreements with both of its unions.

School district spokeswoman Catherine Esary said that the district was able to break what had been a stalemate in negotiations by changing the way the district manages its finances.

The district is taking a longer view; projecting its expenses out five years, but also looking at the short term — planning more carefully each year to avoid the flurry of year-end spending that often took place in the past.

The agreements have not yet been ratified. And while the negotiations — which have drug on more than year for both unions — may be over, it’s not all good news.

“All parties involved understand that staff reductions will be necessary and are exploring all options to mitigate the impact,” The district wrote in a press release issued Tuesday.

The district says it’s doing its part — not filling open positions at the head office.

In a nutshell, the here’s what the unions got:

For both the Classified Employees Association representing support staff and the Mat-Su Education Association representing teachers, there will be a 1.75 percent pay increase this first year and a 2 percent increase the second and third years of the contract. CEA will also be paid a 1 percent lump sum to make up for what they would have gotten in 2009.

The district will hold to the status quo on paying 90 percent of health insurance costs for employees for the first two years of the contract.

“In the third year, both the District and (the unions) have agreed to begin working immediately to address the need to alter our benefit plans to reduce the overall costs to both the District and the employees. To show our commitment to this plan review, the parties agree to split 50/50 any increase in premium from the previous year,” according to the district press release.

Classroom teachers will also see no change to their planning time. The planning time had been something of a sticking point in the negotiations. Teachers said they needed that time to create lesson plans and accomplish tasks they can’t while class is in session.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.