Limbo ends with contract settlement

PALMER — Leaders of labor unions representing Mat-Su teachers and classified employees believe it was the employees’ show of solidarity at school board meetings that finally lead to new three-year contracts after more than a year of negotiations.

Hundreds of teachers, custodians, teacher aides and office workers had packed the bleachers at Palmer High School wearing T-shirts threatening a strike if fair contracts weren’t awarded them soon.

By the end of November, employee groups were relatively satisfied with their pay increases, health care, holidays and working conditions, Mat-Su Education Association President Jill Showman and Classified Employees Association President Rick Byrnes said Monday.

What remains to be seen, however, is how the district plans to handle staff reductions to make up the difference.

Schools Superintendent Ken Burnley has said positions in every part of the district either would remain unfilled or eliminated, and that class sizes would increase by at least two students. Offers of early retirement also would be used to ease reductions, he said.

“We’re never pro-staff cuts,” Byrnes said. “The preliminary stuff on how the early retirements would work is still in progress. We’re not jumping on board with that as of yet. If it helps minimize staff reductions, that’s a good thing, though.”

Classified employees had been working under expired contract language since February 2009, Byrnes said, so they’re happy to finally have an agreement they can live with for the next few years.

“With the economy the way it is, we think it’s a fair settlement,” he said.

Teachers had feared losing some of their planning time and having their cost-of-living pay increases frozen for the next three years. Classified employees were worried about losing some holiday vacations.

With the new contracts, those fears have been calmed.

Both employee groups will see a 1.75 percent salary increase in the first year and a 2 percent increase in each of the following two years. They’ll also see a continuation of the 90/10 split on health care benefits for the first two years and begin working on reducing the overall costs of the health plan in the third year.

Classified employees will retain their five floating holidays and certified employees will receive stipends for non-teaching activities such as professional development and curriculum work.

Teacher planning time will not be reduced, giving classroom teachers adequate time to prepare lessons and grade student work, the contract states.

In a school district press release dated Nov. 9, administrative staff explained that the district is approaching its budget process in a different way now in order to reduce future shortfalls.

Adopting a five-year planning methodology, budgeting for spending throughout the year and not just at the end of the year, and projecting the district’s fund balance in November — instead of in July — for the following year are all part of the new budget plan.

“The priority of the district is to protect our educational programs, not place the organization in financial jeopardy, and watch over the best use of taxpayer dollars,” Burnley stated.

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.