Settlement

After yet another day of mediations, the district and our union have finally reached an agreement!!!  I am not happy.  At all.  But, if this is the best deal we are going to get, I trust that our union contract negotiators have done all they can.  If they are for it, then I know we can't get more than this.

Some lowlights of the settlement are:

• A 1.4% raise for the current school year.  We will not be getting a raise for last year in which we had no contract.  This contract is through August of 2010, for some reason, and offers no raise for the next year.  This also means no retroactive paycheck for last year (which I was really hoping to use for Christmas shopping!).
• The district had proposed putting a cap on the amount that they would pay for our health care plans.  This would cause a family of 3 or more to pay an additional $300 (approx.) out of pocket.  Instead of paying an additional $300 a month extra out-of-pocket for our health care plan, we are incurring higher co-pays, prescription costs, and deductibles (while the district pays the insurance companies less).
• Full day Kinder was not pushed through, but the district is forming a committee to look into doing this in the future.
• Coaching stipends were increased by 10%

All in all it is good because we can stop the madness, but I am not happy about what we are getting.  I should add that I am so glad that my prayers were answered and we did not end up striking (assuming the teachers vote to ratify this agreement).   Did the march work?  Maybe we will never know.  

P.S. Trebs-you were right!  Good things come in 3's!  Here's our 3rd!