Negotiations News Center 2011 - 2012

EDITOR’S NOTE:  BTU Communications is changing the way negotiations announcements are posted on this page. All announcements will be preceded by the unit's acronym: BTU-EP (Broward Instructional Staff) and the date. The dates of upcoming sessions will be posed at the end of each announcement. All members are reminded to call the BTU office prior to leaving for negotiations sessions to make sure they are still taking place as scheduled.

District and union ESP negotiations continue

BTU-ESP / Feb. 17, 2012- The BTU-ESP negotiations team met with the district's team this week to review several proposals made by the union and the school board’s proposal to change layoff procedures.  The Board's counterproposal to Article 5 contains an agreement to use of email by union officials and the ability of the BTU to meet with employees.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna said discussions of other matters, the district’s negotiators indicated general agreement with the possibility of holding a joint orientation program for new hires and mutual agreement on a schedule for dues deductions.

The district did not accept any proposal that had any financial impact, including: Increasing salaries

The BTU-ESP bargaining team remains determined to advocate for these issues despite the district's initial rejection. 

The next bargaining session is Thursday, March 1, when the School Board’s team will offer specific responses to BTU proposals on wages and working conditions. There will be more information on layoffs and recalls provided at this meeting as well.  

For questions or comments about BTU-ESP Contract Negotiations, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna via email at gsegna@btuonline.com

Education Support Professionals Exchange Negotiations Proposals

BTU-ESP / January 24, 2012 –  The BTU-ESP bargaining team and district representatives exchanged proposals for the current 2011-12 school year. Reduction in Force was the only article that the district opened for discussion.  District negotiators said they had no authority to offer any economic increases for Education Support Professionals.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna said the ESP bargaining team opened three articles in addition to wages and insurance.  The highlights of the more than 20 proposed contract improvements included wages increases with three elements – bringing wages even with the cost-of-living since the last increase in 2008, a cost-of-living increase in subsequent years of the contract, and a step increase for eligible employees.  The BTU-ESP negotiators also proposed a minimum calendar of 187 days to include one additional orientation /planning day prior to the start of school.

Other economic proposals included payment for use of personal cell phones for district business, a good attendance incentive, and an increase in reimbursement for damage to personal property and autos.  The ESP negotiators also proposed a committee to investigate a retirement incentive program for this year or next year that might save the district money. 

Other ESP proposals included placing limits on duties unrelated to an ESP’s primary job of providing instructional support such as lunchroom supervision, custodial duties, and covering classes.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for February 15 at the BTU office.  For questions or comments about BTU-ESP Contract Negotiations, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna via email at gsegna@btuonline.com.

Technical Support Professionals Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

BTU-TSP / January 23, 2012 – After months of work to examane and refine job descriptions and place them in appropriate job families, BTU-TSP negotiators and School Board representatives reached agreement on a final list of job descriptions and job families.  Job families determine the positions that are available to employees who are laid off and the positions to which they can be recalled. 

BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator George Segna said both sides agreed to tentatively conclude bargaining over the 2010-11 school year, which had been suspended to deal with job descriptions, job families, and layoff and recall procedures. The  list of job families along with other tentative agreements will be submitted to bargaining unit employees for ratification in the near future as soon as the ratification package is refined and a ratification election process scheduled.  The package also includes provisions for placing new job descriptions into existing job families and procedures if disagreements occur. 

Segna said with the conclusion of this round of bargaining, the current contract, which had already expired, was extended until June 30, 2013. During each of the remaining contract years, either side can request to reopen negotiations over salaries, insurance, and three other articles.

In addition, the negotiations teams agreed to ground rules for negotiations over the current 2011-12 year.  The parties agreed to continue to work on layoff and recall procedures, and to submit to ratification any agreements reached on those subjects separately from other issues.  It appears that the School Board and BTU-TSP are in very different places.  The School Board’s chief negotiator indicated that the district wanted to eliminate bumping.  At the same time, BTU-TSP presented a full set of proposals to make the entire layoff and recall procedure work better by addressing the concerns raised by members over the bumping process.  The topic will be addressed again at the next sessions scheduled for Feb. 6 and Feb. 13.  Proposals on the three articles BTU-TSP chooses to open plus salary and insurance will wait to  be presented
on March 26.

For questions or concerns about BTU-TSP Negotiations, please email BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator George Segna at gsegna@btuonline.com.

Education Support Professionals Pass Tentative Agreement

BTU-ESP / December 9, 2011 – Members of the BTU-Education Support Professionals Unit recently passed the tentative agreement between the unit and the School Board of Broward County by 96 percent.
BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna said although the agreement did not include salary increases for ESP employees from the previous year, there were several key improvements in other contract articles as follows:

Negotiations for the 2011-2012 school year have already started. For questions, comments or concerns, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna at 954-486-6250 Ext. 236 or via email at gsegna@btuonline.com.

Union and District Discuss Specials

BTU-EP / December 5, 2011 – BTU representatives recently met with district officials to bargain over the impacts resulting from the scheduling of special classes such as art, music, physical education, multimedia library in elementary schools.  The BTU recognizes the important contribution “special” classes provide in a full and enriched curriculum. Negotiators requested to bargain over the matter in August while not all inclusive, citing the following impacts of having 40 minute specials every other day:

Additional instructional time (and less planning time) on days without special classes
Increased length of time between breaks on days without special classes
The lack of a system of relief for teachers who need breaks at unscheduled times
The coordination of curriculum between regular and special teachers

BTU Chief Negotiator George Segna said the change in the schedule for special classes was intended to save the district $9.8 million, but it negatively impacted curriculum offerings and placed greater pressure on elementary teachers.  On days when there is no special class, teachers must provide additional instruction and have less time for planning.  In addition to diminishing the well-rounded education students receive, it also resulted in greater exhaustion experienced by teachers and more time working after school hours ended. 
The union and district staff discussed a variety of methods to address the issue. It was apparent that problems differed and no single solution was applicable to all schools.

Union and district representatives agreed to encourage schools to assess their local situation and incorporate those solutions that alleviated identified problems. A BTU teacher on the team volunteered to work with an Employee Relations Representative to develop a notice to schools, suggestions for dealing with their needs, and a response procedure.  The result of their work will be taken to Area Superintendents for implementation.

Education Support Professionals Ongoing Contract Ratification

BTU-ESP / November 28, 2011 – The BTU-ESP Bargaining Team recommends ratification of the contract agreement for 2010-11.  Although there were no increases in the salary schedules for ESP employees from the previous year, there were several key improvements in other contract articles:

• The issues of health and safety were expanded to an entire contract article.  Article 20 now includes procedures to deal with immediately hazardous or infectious conditions, safety equipment, clean facilities, programs to improve air quality, and procedures for administering medication and examining students with communicable diseases.

• Redefinition of the probationary period so that there is a standard and fair determination of seniority dates for new employees.

• Carry-over of credit in the next school year for all time spent in a probationary period.

• Added two days to the number of sick leave days that can be used for personal leave each year

• Increased benefits for employees who are reservists called to active duty.

• Increase the leave allowed for release of ESP members for union business from 30 to 50 days.

• Relaxation of requirements for FMLA leave so that ESP employees can qualify for payment of medical insurance while on leave for personal or family illness.

• Extension of the contract from 2010 through the 2012-13 school year with rights to reopen negotiations on wages, insurance, and 3 other articles.

• Agreement to begin negotiations for 2011-12 in December 2011.

• A variety of editorial changes of numbering, punctuation, and references to ESPs.

For more information, the entire current contract can be found on the BTU website at btuonline.com or on the Employee Relations Department’s website.

ESP Ratification Packet

(Click on the link to view PDF document)

 

 

Education Support Professionals Reach Tentative Agreement

 BTU-ESP / November 9, 2011 - Wednesday marked the final session for 2010-2011 contract negotiations with the district's continued refusal to provide ESPs with any wage increases for
2010-2011.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna announced the ESP bargaining team finally ended negotiations and entered into a tentative agreement concerning the last school year to lock in previous gains. All members of the BTU-ESP Bargaining Unit (dues and non-dues paying) will have the opportunity to vote online during the week of November 28 from any computer with Internet access. Due to the fact that some BTU-ESP members have limited computer access, the time for voting will be extended to one whole week.

Tentative agreements reached in this round of bargaining include:

• Procedures to deal with hazards to health and safety

• Assurance of clean working conditions

• Protections in case of bomb threats

• Participation in programs to improve air quality in schools

• Complying with regulations for examining students and administering medications

• Allowing ESP stewards to be released for one day during the year on union business

• Extending the pay and leave time benefits for employees called up to active military duty

• Defining the seniority date as the date of completion of an employees’ probationary period

• Removing restrictions on the amount of time that employees can carry over from one year to the next to satisfy a probationary period
  so that all experience counts toward job security

• Making ESPs eligible for Family Medical Leave by reducing the amount of work time required and providing a portion of the 12-week leave to employees who work less than 7.5 hours a day

In addition, an agreement was reached to extend the contract until June 2013 in order to protect contractual rights from
legislative attacks.
If ratified by ESP employees in an online vote during the week of November 28, the agreement will be sent to the school board on December 6. Check will your work site or the BTU website for further announcements.
As part of the agreement, the BTU-ESP team and the district will immediately start negotiations for this school year on December 14. We will continue to push for a well-deserved raise or bonus. 
For questions or concerns about the BTU-ESP tentative agreement, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna at gsegna@btuonline.com.

 

Charter School Professionals Ratify Agreement!

BTU-CSP / November 9, 2011 - Members of the BTU-CSP ratified the agreement below by a 95% to 5% vote. City commissioners have also subsequently voted to approve the agreement.  According to the agreement with the City, the Pembroke Pines Charter Schools will be closed on November 21 and 22 as well as the following:

• Teachers will not report to work on November 21 and 22 prior to Thanksgiving.

• In exchange, teaches will be responsible to complete training activities related to the new teacher evaluation model required by the state by May 14, 2012.

• Teachers will continue to be paid as usual, but failure to complete the training will result in being docked for two days’ pay after May 14, 2012.

• Funds to pay for completing training come from federal Race to the Top funds, and the City is expected to save over $100,000 through this exchange.

• There are 3 options for completing the training activities: an on-line course currently available, and a group study or individual study guide that will be available in December.

• The FSU school is not participating in the same Race to the Top program, but all FSU teachers will be covered by the agreement and will have as many of the training options as possible available to them.

• In addition to the required training activities that are done at an individual’s own pace and time, a 3-hour training on the Marzano Causal Model of Observation and Evaluation will be held on the October 28th planning day. In exchange for allowing training on this day on which meetings are restricted, no meeting will be scheduled on the October 27th early release day.

More details on the training options are available to the BTU website:

www.btuonline.com

or the Broward School District’s HRD website:

www.broward.k12.fl.us/hrd

 

 

Technical Support Professionals Resume Negotiations

BTU-TSP / November 7, 2011 – 

The BTU-Technical Support Professionals Negotiations Team met recently with the School Board’s team for the first time this school year.  Negotiations were suspended last spring, and the  issues of job descriptions, job families and layoff procedures were referred to labor/management meetings.   

BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator George Segna reports the two teams reached two tentative agreements on the process of deciding on job families for new and revised job descriptions.  As part of the regular review process by BTU-TSP prior to School Board adoption, BTU-TSP will be able to discuss the appropriateness of the bargaining unit, the pay grade, and the job family designated by the district.  If there is mutual agreement on these issues, the job description will be placed in the appropriate job family without need for ratification by the entire bargaining unit. 

Changes in existing job families or creation of new job families will need to be ratified through a vote of the bargaining unit.  Several issues were raised about whether job classifications determined by  PERC to be excluded from the unit more than 10 years ago have been mistakenly included.   The teams agreed to research this question before formalizing the job families for ratification by bargaining unit members. 

The negotiations teams will meet again on Monday, November 28.  If any BTU-TSP members have any negotiations related questions or concerns, please contact BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator George Segna via email at gsegna@btuonline.com.

 

 

Negotiations stall on money talks

BTU-ESP / October 25, 2011 –

The BTU and SBBC bargaining teams met on October 25 and although it was three weeks since our last meeting, the District’s negotiators continued to hold the same position on the two remaining issues: bonus increases for ESPs and sick leave use by probationary employees. District negotiators refused to provide any bonus increases for employees for 2010-11 and would not agree to the sick leave benefit that BTU negotiators proposed. 
BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna reported bargaining, that began in December, has stalled for weeks over the few remaining issues that the District’s team has firmly resisted.  Several other agreements, including an entirely new article devoted exclusively to health and safety, were successfully reached prior to this setback. Earlier agreements include:

 

• Procedures to deal with hazards to health and safety

• Assurance of clean working conditions

• Protections in case of bomb threats

• Participation in programs to improve air quality in schools

• Complying with regulations for examining students and administering medications

• Allowing ESP stewards to be released for one day during the year on union business

• Extending the pay and leave time benefits for employees called up to active military duty

• Defining the seniority date as the date of completion of an employees’ probationary period

• Removing restrictions on the amount of time that employees can carry over from one year to the next to satisfy a probationary period
  so that all experience counts toward job security

• Making ESPs eligible for Family Medical Leave by reducing the amount of work time required and providing a portion of the 12-week leave to employees who work less than 7.5 hours a day

The BTU-ESP contract expired in July 2011, and a new contract is required to retain employee rights and prevent interference by a hostile legislature. The final issue to be discussed will be the length of the new agreement and the issues that can be reopened for negotiations during each year.  These will be the subjects dealt with at the next session on November 9. For any questions, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna at gsegna@btuonline.com.

Union and City reaches agreement

BTU-CSP / October 21, 2011 –

Members of the BTU-CSP negotiations team met with City representatives to discuss the single item of working on November 21 and 22, currently scheduled as planning days.

BTU-CSP Chief Negotiator George Segna said the union and city reached an agreement that teachers would not work on those days.  Instead, teachers will have to participate in training on the Marzano evaluation model on their own time sometime during the year.  If teachers do not complete one of the three available training options by May 14, 2012, their pay will be docked for those two days at the end of the year.

The agreement to have two days off in November and to use federal RTTT (Race to the Top) fund for training participation will save the City approximately $110,000. Prior to reaching the agreement, city officials proposed the possibility of simply furloughing employees without pay on those two days as is being done in Broward County Schools in order to save money.

There was also agreement not to have any mandatory meetings on October 27 in exchange for scheduling a three hour training on the new evaluation model on October 28.

The agreement reached will be reduced to writing and submitted for ratification and approval by the City Commission before becoming official.   The earliest deadline for ratification is November 1.

For questions or concerns, please contact BTU-CSP Chief Negotiator George Segna at gsegna@btuonline.com.

 

 

Negotiators make progress

BTU-ESP / October 4, 2011 – 

The BTU-ESP Bargaining Team went to the negotiations table again on October 4 and wrapped up most of the outstanding issues dating back to 2010-2011. 

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna reports that the two sides reached tentative agreements on:

• The definition of seniority which starts at the end of the probationary period

• The carry over of experience toward the probationary period from one year to the next

• Two additional days of sick leave that can be used for personal reasons

• Improvements in Family Medical Leave that will allow more ESPs to qualify for personal and family illnesses

• An increase in leave time available for members to do union work

• Expansion of Military Reserve Leave

He added that two issues remain – salary money and access to sick leave for probationary employees.  The ESP bargaining team proposed a $300 bonus to resolve both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 contract years, Despite the reported rejection of our proposal by the School Board, the ESP bargaining team will continue to push for the compensation that our members deserve.  We meet again on Tuesday, October 27 to see if we can reach final agreement on last year’s contract provisions. 

For questions or concerns about BTU-ESP Contract Negotiations, please contact George Segna via email at gsegna@btuonlin.com.

 

 

Teachers Approve Tentative Agreement

BTU-EP / September 14, 2011 – On the same day Broward school board members selected a new superintendent, 5,740 Broward teachers or 41% of those eligible to vote, cast 4,535 (79%) yes votes and 1,205 (21%) no votes to approve a historic contract tentative agreement that will remain in effect until August 15, 2014.

BTU President Pat Santeramo said this is the first year that Broward Teachers Union and school board negotiators reached an agreement after contract talks for the district’s 14,000 teachers went to impasse during the last three school years. Unlike virtually all school districts in the state, the agreement provides teachers a salary increase of a $500 bonus. While Broward teachers will be furloughed like all other district employees during the two days of the Thanksgiving Holiday week, the teachers will have the opportunity to recoup the lost two days of pay in exchange for completing supplemental training about the state’s new evaluation system that is mandated by the Florida Student Success Act. With the contract agreement comes $38 million in Race to the Top federal funding, which will be used in part to pay for the teachers’ evaluation training.

“While neither side believes this agreement is perfect, considering the current economic downturn and the state’s tragic underfunding of public schools, this was the best contract that could be reached at this time,” Santeramo said. “I would like to thank the union’s negotiators who worked on this agreement for over a year.”

School board members will vote on the agreement during their next regularly scheduled meeting this Friday, September 16 at the K.C. Wright Building in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The board’s vote, which follows the teachers’ approval, is traditionally considered a formality. The two sides reached the tentative contract agreement about four weeks ago on August 18.

Teachers agreed to temporarily give up for one year their Teacher Directed Improvement Fund (TDIF), which pays for educators to attend workshops and conferences, valued at about $1.5 million per year. At the same time, the contract agreement, which ends on August 15, 2014, provides Broward teachers with the following:

A $500 bonus while virtually no other districts in Florida are providing teachers with raises

A two day furlough on Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22 or two additional days off during the Thanksgiving Holiday week when Broward schools will be closed

The opportunity to complete supplemental training on a new state evaluation system in exchange for recouping wages lost during the two day Thanksgiving Holiday week furlough

Teachers will continue to receive 100% of their health insurance paid for by the district

Formation of a committee to explore and make recommendations to the BTU’s president and the district’s superintendent concerning the implementation of a Retirement Assistance Program

A voice via joint committees that will study important public education issues such as performance and merit pay

Contract negotiations re-openers for the next two school years to negotiate additional salary increases, health insurance benefits and limited contract language changes

As well as, numerous improvements to the contract that can be read on the front page of  www.BTUonline.com

Contract negotiations between the Broward Teachers Union Technical Support Professionals and Education Support Professionals units continue.

For questions or concerns about BTU-EP negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator George Segna via email at gsegna@btuonline.com.

 

BTU-ESP Negotiators Discuss Furloughs

BTU-ESP / September 13, 2011 – The ESP Bargaining Team met with Employee Relations Specialist Susan Cooper on Tuesday, September 13 in order to continue contract talks for the district's education support professionals.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna said the ESP negotiators did not receive a response to the team's most recent counterproposal. Instead, negotiators discussed the furlough program recently adopted by the School Board. 

"We reviewed an advanced draft of information that will be shared with administrators, employees and unions in the near future and received answers to questions about the impact of furloughs on ESP employees and expect to receive a response to our proposal to settle the contract at the next negotiations session," Segna said. which  is scheduled for Friday, September 23. 

The tentative date for the next negotiations meeting is Friday, September 23. For questions or concerns about BTU-ESP negotiations, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna via email at gsegna@btuonline.com.

Broward Teachers Union

Education Professionals Unit

Tentative Contract Agreement Follow-Up

No single briefing can answer all 14,500 bargaining unit members’ questions; however, a few questions that members are asking more than any other, concerns the two days off with pay on the Monday and Tuesday preceding the Thanksgiving Holiday; other contract agreement options; and the term of agreement.

FURLOUGHS AND TRAINING

Broward schools will be closed on Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22. The district will be closed the entire week of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Teachers will have the days off with pay.

Teachers will have the days off with pay in exchange for completing a checklist of training activities regarding the new evaluation system required by the Florida Student Success Act (SB 736) and part of the federal Race to the Top initiative.

All district employees except teachers will have Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22 off without pay as it will be a two day furlough. The district will be closed for all employees and students.

A top priority of the district and union is providing teachers maximum flexibility and ease in completing the self-directed checklist of training activities.

The training checklist will be about one page and list a variety of individualized and self-directed training activities that teachers can complete on their own time.

For teachers who opt to participate, the training checklist must be completed before the deadline of May 14, 2012.

Teachers who choose to participate in the training activities will be paid at their normal rate of pay on Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22 in advance of their completing the checklist of self-directed training activities by the May 14 deadline.

Teachers may opt out of completing the training checklist, but their normal rate of pay for the two days of Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22 will be deducted from their paychecks -- the same as all other district employees who are being furloughed.

OTHER CONTRACT AGREEMENT OPTIONS

Union leaders and negotiators want to be very clear that this agreement is far from perfect.

Considering contract agreements currently being reached by districts throughout the state, this is the best possible agreement at this time considering the economic downturn and unprecedented cuts in state education aid.

Virtually all Florida school districts are offering teachers no salary increases and many are asking teachers to take salary cuts through furloughs.

Broward schools have declared impasse in the ongoing contract negotiations.

If the two teams did not reach the tentative agreement, contract negotiations would proceed to an impasse hearing before a special magistrate. The School Board would impose contract terms as they have done in the past.

The tentative agreement avoids a third impasse resolution by the School Board and the loss of millions of dollars in federal grant money that the school district will now be eligible to receive to pay for Florida’s Student Success Act, which is an unfunded mandate required by Senate Bill 736. 

For the last two years when the Union and School Board went to impasse, the special magistrate sided with the district and teachers received no step or salary increases.

If the two sides were unable to reach this tentative agreement, Broward teachers would not receive any salary increase and would be subject to the same two-day furlough like all other district employees, which equals about a $500 salary decrease for teachers.

Teachers gained a $500 bonus for the 2011-12 school year. They also avoided the imposition of a two-day unpaid furlough, which would mean a $500 salary decrease for most education professionals.

TERM OF AGREEMENT

The term of the tentative agreement is August 13, 2011 through August 15, 2014.

The tentative agreement provides a $500 bonus for 2011-2012 school year.

The agreement contains none of the concessions proposed in earlier negotiations, refers unresolved issues to committees for further discussion, and incorporates all other tentative agreements gained through prior negotiations.

The district and union also agree to form a committee to research the feasibility of a Retirement Assistance Program (RAP) and to propose recommendations for implementing modifications for contract provisions that are required. The research and recommendations of the committee shall be rendered to the Superintendent and the President of the BTU no later than January 31, 2012.

Contract negotiations re-openers for salary, insurance and two other articles will commence in May 2012 for the 2012-2013 school year and May 2013 for the 2013-2014 school year.

A top priority of the BTU negotiations team remains negotiating step increases on the salary schedule and the hope is that the economy will improve sufficiently so that can be done.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Additional information including a complete compilation of all the tentative agreements will be provided as it becomes available. Members should monitor the BTU website at www.BTUonline.com for the most up-to-date information.

Members with additional questions can send them to communications@btuonline.com.

Union and District Negotiators Exchange Proposals

BTU-EP / August 15, 2011 – Negotiators for the Broward Teachers Union and the School Board of Broward County met on Monday, August 15 to review where negotiations left off before impasse was declared and to exchange new proposals.

New BTU-EP Chief Negotiator George Segna said new School Board Chief Negotiator Dorothy Davis and her team of negotiators presented the union’s team with a package proposal for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years.  The proposal includes a $300 one-time bonus payment, but a two day furlough which represents an approximate $2 million loss or an average salary reduction of $500 per member. It also includes the temporary suspension of TDIF funds for the 2011-2012 school year, which translates to an approximate $1.5 million “give back.”  They proposed to form committees around new legislation: Senate Bill 736, Race to the Top (RTTT), School Improvement Grant (SIG), and Differentiated Accountability (DA).

“I don’t think anyone would deny that this is the worst economy seen in decades and unfortunately, districts across the state and unions including the BTU are facing contract proposals that offer either bad agreements, no agreements that result in impasse or even worse – losses,” Segna said. “Members should not expect any different outcome from this year’s impasse than the last two, which resulted in the special magistrate siding with the district concerning financial issues.” 

He said the union’s negotiators offered a proposal in response to the district’s package offer. They countered with a one-time $500 bonus payment and no furlough days. The School Board conducted a closed door session today to discuss negotiations and the two teams will meet later this week.

“We think the BTU proposal is competitive with other Florida school districts,” Segna said. He added teachers in West Palm Beach received a $500 payment and no furloughs. Miami-Dade teachers settled for no salary increase, but also no furloughs and no layoffs. 

District negotiators continue to request further discussion and study of scheduling options as an alternative to taking the issue of schedule changes into impasse. In the past, the district has pushed to eliminate the right of secondary schools and faculties to determine their own schedules so that the district can create a uniform straight seven period day.  The resulting reduction in the number of teachers needed would save the district money.

“The BTU’s position has remained the same in that high school and middle school staff members and communities should have the option of determining the best schedules for their students. BTU is unwilling to give up the right of teachers to have input that School Advisory Councils have under the law.” Segna said.

Union negotiators continue to advocate for a district Retirement Assistance Program (RAP). Many staff members would like to leave the district and with the assistance of a retirement program they could do so. Depending on how many members used the retirement assistance, the district could save about $3 million over five years.

The members of the two teams continue to discuss ESE guidelines for seclusion and restraint of ESE students.

Segna said if the two sides are able to reach an agreement; the new contract agreement would end on August 15, 2014. As in the past, such an agreement would include re-openers each school year concerning salaries, benefits and generally a limited number of contract articles.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 18, 2011 at the BTU office. All negotiations sessions are open to the public and members are encouraged to attend.

As always, for members that cannot attend, the BTU encourages member feedback and input. Members can also send their comments and concerns in reply to this message.

Negotiators for teachers reach first

tentative contract agreement in three years

BTU-EP / August 18, 2011(Updated: 3:47 p.m. / August 19, 2011) – The Broward Teachers Union reached a tentative agreement to replace the contract that expired in August 2009.  For three years negotiations have been at an impasse over BTU’s demands for step increases and the district’s demands for economic concessions and contract take backs. 

The tentative agreement avoids a third impasse resolution by the School Board and the loss of millions of dollars in federal grant money that the school district will now be eligible to receive over the next three years.  Teachers gained a $500 bonus for the 2011-12 school year.  They also avoided the imposition of a two-day unpaid furlough. 

A new evaluation system, first proposed as an initiative in the federal Race To The Top grant, became law with the passage of S.B. 736.  In exchange for paid days off rather than unpaid furloughs, teachers will be expected to engage in training related to the new system from a menu of self-directed activities.  Teachers will now have additional days off on November 21 and 22, when the entire district will close and other employees furloughed.

The agreement contains none of the concessions proposed in earlier negotiations, refers unresolved issues to committees for further discussion, and incorporates all other tentative agreements gained through prior negotiations.  The parties agreed to reopen negotiations for legislatively mandated issues this year, and for salaries, insurance, and two other articles chosen by each side during the two following years.  The agreement extends until August 2014, except for those reopeners. 

“We are pleased to announce this tentative agreement was reached just three days before our members’ students arrive for the new school year,” BTU President Pat Santeramo said. “Negotiators had to consider that districts throughout the state are offering no pay increases for education professionals and many are asking teachers to take salary cuts through furloughs. This is the best possible agreement – albeit far from perfect -- considering that we are in the worst economic downturn the State of Florida and the United States has experienced in decades.”

All members of the Broward Teachers Union Education Professionals Bargaining Unit will have the opportunity to review the tentative agreement, which is provided in outline form below, and vote electronically online in the coming weeks to approve or disapprove it. All electronic voting information will be sent via CAB email.

Prior to his resignation, Superintendent Jim Notter had declared an impasse in contract negotiations for the second year in a row. The BTU had declared impasse the year prior to that. However, with the cooperation of his temporary replacement, Acting Superintendent Donnie Carter, the School Board named Employee Relations Specialist Dorothy Davis as the district’s new chief negotiator. BTU President Pat Santeramo, in turn, named the union’s Director of Field Services George Segna as the union’s new chief negotiator. 

The two chief negotiators along with their teams were able to reach an agreement that closely approximates those offered in Miami-Dade and West Palm Beach schools and betters most other agreements reached by districts in the state. Miami-Dade teachers agreed to no raise, but also no furloughs or layoffs. West Palm Beach teachers agreed to a $500 bonus as well as no furloughs or layoffs. Nearly all school districts in the state have experienced disappointing increases in class sizes and horrific cuts to programs such as art, music, physical education, library media and guidance counseling among many others.

In exchange for no furloughs that will affect all other district employees because the district will be closed on these two days, Broward teachers may agree to exchange the two days off with pay during the Thanksgiving Holiday Week for completing a training checklist or waiver out of the new evaluation requirements stipulated by the federal Race to the Top program and the state’s new Senate Bill 736. Teachers are the only district staff members required by the state and federal government to complete the additional training. The self-directed training will be completed by each individual teacher on their own time. The district and union want completing the training checklist to be as easy and flexible for teachers that choose to participate in order to complete it by the deadline in May. 

Riding on the ability of the two sides to reach an agreement was $37 million in federal Race to the Top education funding and $23 million School Improvement Grant funds. The union must sign off on the district’s RT3 plan by Sept. 30 or the district would have likely not received the money, but due to Florida Senate Bill 736 would still have been required to implement many of its provisions. According to the district’s plan, the federal funds will be used to pay for the grant program’s requirements. As part of the contract agreement, committees consisting of district and union members will study the program’s plan as well as other important district issues.

Again, many of the Race to the Top Program’s requirements are included in Florida’s new Student Success Act (SB 736), which must be implemented per law, but state legislators provided no state funding for districts to do so. The state’s unfunded mandate would have drained millions of dollars from the district’s budget.

Many teachers have expressed interest in a Retirement Assistance Program (RAP) because they would like to leave the district through retirement, but cannot afford to do so. Negotiators agreed to form a committee to research the feasibility of a Retirement Assistance Program and to propose recommendations for implementing modifications for contract provisions that are required. The research and recommendations of the committee shall be rendered to the Superintendent and BTU’s President no later than January 31, 2012.

The following is a basic and preliminary BTU only outline of the agreement:

I. 2010 – 2011 School Year

1. No salary increase for the 2010-2011 school year.

2. SBBC will withdraw the Impasse declaration on the 2010-2011contract and, upon ratification and School Board approval of the Agreement, the parties can mutually agree to cancel the Impasse Hearing.

3. The parties will honor the Tentative Agreements (TAs) reached during the 2010-2011 EP Negotiations sessions.

4. The parties agree to sign off on an MOU authorizing committees to address:

a. Senate Bill 736 (Student Success Act)

b. The components of Race to the Top (RTTT)

c. Student Improvement Grant (SIG)

d. Differentiated Accountability (DA)

The committee makeup for the above mentioned committees will consist of an equal number from each party including current bargaining unit members and access to other experts in their respective fields.  The committee members shall be charged with reviewing issues related to their committees’ respective subjects and proposing recommendations for implementing modifications of contract revisions that are required by legislative mandates.  The recommendations of the committees shall be returned to the parties for negotiations no later than December 15, 2011.  The BTU agrees to enter into a signed agreement for the RTTT and SIG prior to September 15, 2011.

5. Suspend the provisions of Article 23(D)(17), Teacher Directed Improvement Funds, for the 2011-2012 school year.

6. The parties agree to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to conclude the 2010-2011 EP Negotiations with no changes in the contract language.  Tentative Agreements reached during these negotiations will roll over to the 2011-2012 school year.


II. 2011- 2012 School Year

1. All teachers will receive a one-time $500 bonus payment for the 2011-2012 school year.

2. All teachers will be required to take two (2) days off during the 2011-2012 school year (to be taken the Monday and Tuesday during the Thanksgiving week.) The district will be closed on these two days for all district employees and students.

3. Due to new evaluation requirements in the Student Success Act (SB 736), teachers may participate in two (2) paid days of training as a Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative.  For participating in training / study / activities related to the new evaluation system developed jointly with BTU, teachers shall be compensated at their hourly rate for the aforementioned training. Teachers who opt to participate in the checklist of training activities shall receive this compensation at their hourly rate in advance on Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22.  While teachers may opt not to participate, failure to submit documentation of completion of the training/study/activities by May 14, 2012 shall result in the docking of salary for those days -- just like all other employees who are being furloughed on those two days.  Such docking of salary shall not be subject to the overpayment provisions contained in Article 19, Section Q.

4. An employee may be employed in a teaching position outside of the District while on a Board approved leave of absence.

5. The District agrees to continue to pay 100% of the cost for HMO and Consumer Driven Plans (employee only) and to follow the funding formula in the contract for health insurance premiums for the 2011-2012 school year.

6. The contract term will be three years (August 13, 2011 through August 15, 2014) with reopeners for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years limited to recommendations of committees, two articles, insurance, and salary.   For the 2011-2012 school year reopeners will be limited to any articles needed to comply with recommendations of committees to comply with legislative mandates.

7. The parties agree to form a committee to research the feasibility of a Retirement Assistance Program (RAP) and proposing recommendations for implementing modifications for contract provisions that are required.  The research and recommendations of the committee shall be rendered to the Superintendent and the President of the BTU no later than January 31, 2012. 

8. The parties agree to conduct a Joint Training for Principals and one (1) Steward from each school on the new evaluation process at a mutually agreeable date, time and location.

9. The parties agree to extend the MOU regarding Article 25 and Article 26 through 2011-2012 with an expansion of the participants and the revision of the deadline.

10. The parties agree to an MOU to develop Appendix Q (which may be renumbered) regarding requirements for seclusion and restraint of students required by Florida Statute.

As additional information becomes available about the upcoming electronic online contract ratification and related documents, it will be provided and posted online at www.BTUonline.com. 

Members are encouraged to send their comments and concerns in reply to this message and to participate in the upcoming contract ratification.

Negotiators conduct "amicable" contract talks 

BTU-EP / August 4, 2011 – Described as “amicable” by negotiators, contract negotiations between the Union's Education Professionals Unit (Broward schools instructional staff) and School Board resumed today for the first time since impasse was declared by former Superintendent Jim Notter.

New BTU-EP Chief Negotiator George Segna who is also the new chief negotiator for all of the union’s bargaining units said both teams approached the restart of contracts talks with a more  amicable manner with the goal of working toward reaching an agreement prior to the upcoming impasse hearing. The impasse hearing is now scheduled to take place in early October.

Segna said negotiators for both teams discussed the following open contract articles: Article 18 – Personnel File; Article 23 - Bereavement Leave; Article 25 - Reassignments and Transfers; and Article 26 – Reduction in personnel.

The negotiations team members also agreed to work on resolving a comprehensive economic package. No details were provided concerning this.

The two teams also discussed having committees revisit the School Improvement Grant (SIG), District Accountability (DA) and Race to the Top (RT3). The committees will meet with the goal of isolating concerns as to how these items impact teachers and how they affect the district as a whole. 

BTU’s negotiators also requested the School Board’s representatives to specify the guidelines for legislation concerning seclusion and restraint of ESE students.

“Both parties acknowledge the urgency of bringing resolution to the contract talks before the impasse hearing,” Segna said. He added the teams will meet weekly beginning August 26. 

Segna also announced the members of the BTU-EP Negotiations Team. They are all members of the BTU Education Professionals Unit as follows: Evelyn Acevedo, Cresthaven Elementary; Wade Brosz, Indian Ridge Middle; Adam Cohen, South Broward High; Jillian Haring, Forest Glen Middle; Pamela Mosser, Broadview Elementary. 

The next negotiations session will be held at 2 p.m. at the BTU office. The negotiations team members will also meet for contract talks at 10 a.m. on September 2. The location for this session is yet to be announced.

As more information becomes available, it will be posted in the Negotiations News Center. For specific questions concerning contract negotiations, please contact Chief Negotiator George Segna by telephone at 954-486-6250 Ext. 236 or via email

atgsegna@btuonline.com

ESP Negotiators Exchange Proposals 

BTU-ESP / August 3, 2011 – The members of the BTU-ESP Negotiations Team met with School Board negotiators today and exchanged proposals.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna said negotiators exchanged contract language proposals on the issues of leaves and the probationary period for new employees.  He said the only gain was the School Board negotiator’s offer to increase the number of days from 30 to 50 that the union can use to release members from their jobs for training and other purposes. The union pays the district back when members use these days.  The union team responded by lowering its demand from 100 days to 75 days.  Although there was movement, no final agreement was reached.

Segna said two other leave issues are still unresolved. The first is increasing paid leave for injuries on the job from ten to 15 days. The other is allowing BTU-ESP stewards to be released for one day a year. 

He added the School Board’s negotiators have not accepted the BTU-ESP negotiator’s proposals affecting the probationary period for new employees.  BTU-ESP negotiators propose to shorten the probationary period, allow credit for all probationary days worked in one year to be carried over to the next year, and to let  new employees use available sick leave sooner. 

Negotiators are closer in establishing a seniority date and a start date for benefits that is clearly understood by employees. 

Another bargaining session will be held after the start of the school year on August 30. Additional details will be announced as they become available.

For any questions or concerns about the BTU-ESP Unit, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna at 954-486-6250 Ext. 236 or via email at

gsegna@btuonline.com

Negotiations for Education Support Professionals continue

BTU-ESP / July 13, 2011 – The ESP bargaining team negotiated on July 12 over leaves, seniority and probationary periods. 

District negotiators agreed to increase personal leave days from 4 to 6.  They also agreed to better language on military leave and family medical leave.  Improvements in maternity leave, personal leave, illness in the line of duty, and union leave have all been rejected by the district’s negotiators.

The BTU team’s goal is to obtain leave benefits for ESP employees like those for teachers. The union’s negotiators gave a compromise proposal for reduced benefits and expect a district response on August 1.

The union team is seeking to improve benefits and job security for probationary employees. The session helped clarify how seniority dates and probationary periods are determined.  Union negotiators will present new proposals at the next session at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3 at the BTU office.

The district’s negotiators withdrew their proposed changes in the layoff procedure because the process has already been completed for this year.  The topic will be dealt with in future negotiations. 

For any questions or concerns about the BTU-ESP Unit, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator George Segna at 954-486-6250 Ext. 236 or via email at 

gsegna@btuonline.com.

Charter School members pass contract agreement

BTU-CSP / April 14, 2011 – Thirty-eight percent of the teachers for the City of Pembroke Pines Charter Schools voted in the recent contract ratification passing the agreement by 94 percent yes to 6 percent no.

As part of the settlement agreement, those who received no step advancement for the 2010-2011 school year will receive a one-time $500 payment. The BTU-CSP contract language that guarantees step movement annually is still in place. 

City negotiators additionally agreed to allow teachers to cash in a portion of their unused sick time and will give CSP bargaining unit members preference in filling supplemental vacancies.

The formula for computing the amount of money given for sixth period supplements will also change as part of the settlement agreement.

All BTU-Charter School Professionals Bargaining Unit members (dues and non-dues paying) had the opportunity to vote electronically for or against ratification of this agreement.

For any questions or concerns about the BTU-CSP Unit, please contact BTU-CSP Field Staff Representative Iris Froehlich at 954-486-6250 Ext. 262 or via email at 

ifroehlich@btuonline.com.

Superintendent Jim Notter opts for more staff layoffs

instead of a contract that included $37 million in new federal money

and millions in cost savings for the cash strapped district

BTU-EP / May 18, 2011 –  With one month to go before his resignation takes effect, Broward Schools Superintendent Jim Notter ended contract negotiations mediation today with the school system’s 15,800 teachers, which means he is choosing to lose $37 million that comes with new Race to the Top federal education funding for the cash strapped district. Common sense budget cutting recommendations of teachers established through a joint district and union finance committee and the new $37 million in Race to the Top federal funds far exceeds any money that the district wants to save through the use of unpaid furloughs, but Notter refuses to make any significant and real cuts into the district’s obese bureaucratic structure.

 “Superintendent Notter’s actions are absolutely shameful as his legacy of hurting Broward schools, teachers and students continues to grow exponentially before his resignation even takes effect next month,” Santeramo said. “The union did everything it could to reach an agreement including asking for mediation and negotiating in good faith for three days in a row with the help of a mediator, but it takes two sides to reach any kind of meaningful agreement.”

 Santeramo said union and community members have scheduled a Fight for Our Future protest in support of all public employees at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24 across from the Broward County Courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale. He said before today’s mediation broke down, the teachers’ negotiations team offered to accept a one-time $300 flat payment per teacher, which the teachers would have paid for themselves by giving up for two years existing district funds that teachers use for attending workshops and conferences, with the absolute guarantee that the district agree to no unpaid furlough days for instructional staff. It would have made absolutely no sense for union negotiators to agree to a salary increase; however small, knowing district officials plan to turn right around and impose a nonpaid furlough that would have cost teachers more than the small increase being offered.

 The union would have also agreed to sign off on $37 million in new Race to the Top federal education funds even though district officials had already prepared to budget the vast majority of the money to pay for more administrators and consultants. Union officials who have carefully studied the district’s proposed Race to the Top budget stated virtually none of the money was slated to go directly to classrooms, teachers and students.

 “The tragedy is while Notter continues pleading poor and laying off teachers, district education professionals have offered numerous common sense answers to the district’s uncommon budget concerns. But, despite Notter’s public statements of poverty, he refuses to clean up the district’s entrenched reputation , which a Florida Grand Jury recently described as corruption, malfeasance and flagrant misspending of tax dollars,” Santeramo said emphasizing that it is the district’s teachers and students who are being hurt by the superintendent’s disregard for the district’s teachers and students.

 He said the fact district officials had already planned to budget most of the district’s $37 million in Race to the Top federal funds to pay for administrative costs as well as to hire even more consultants. The union was willing to sign off on the deal in a show of good faith negotiations in hopes that more of the money could be designated for classrooms and students once the grant got underway. The actual proposed Race to the Top budget clearly shows district officials allocated very little of the new federal money for classroom instruction and instead planned to pocket the money themselves and likely hire more of their retired friends back into the district as consultants.

 Santeramo indicated that the commonsense budget answers that teachers recommend equal far more than any savings that district officials would experience through the use of furloughs. The following are just some of the district staff’s budget cutting suggestions, which have been “costed-out” and verified by district officials through a joint district and union finance committee.

 On Tuesday during the School Board’s meeting, Notter angrily slammed away his microphone on the dais after saying he would not accept the teachers’ suggestion that the district could save $11.5 million by eliminating one of two area offices that serve different Broward County regions, but both are located in the exact same place and neither are centrally located to the regions they are supposed to serve.

 Teachers who work in the district’s schools have observed huge disparities in the number of assistant principals assigned to schools and suggest that the district could save 11 million tax dollars by establishing consistent administrator to student ratios so all teachers and students have equal access to education leaders.

 As students who attend magnet schools do so at their own choosing, teachers have recommended that during the current challenging economic times that magnet transportation be suspended on a temporary basis only at savings of $3.6 million.

 The teachers have offered to suspend their funding that pays for teachers to attend workshops and conferences at a savings of $3 million.

 The district’s education professionals have offered to increase student instructional time by 10 minutes per day, which would benefit the students and allow the district to close down for up to five days at a savings of $2.7 million.

 They have also offered to forego health insurance during the probationary period of all new instructional staff hires at a savings of the $800,000.

 They have also offered to temporarily end non-emergency release time, which would save the district $800,000 District teachers recommend all schools hire substitute teachers the same way and forego having full time in-house substitute teachers, which would save $500,000.

 

###

 

BTU-ESP Negotiations Continue: Reach MOU

BTU-ESP / April 26, 2011- Negotiators for the BTU-Education Support Professionals and the School Board of Broward County signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding about Family and Medical Act at a negotiations session on April 26. The MOU will be effective immediately.  

The MOU decreases the hours of service necessary to qualify for FMLA from 1250 to 784, matching the language in the BTU-Education Professionals contract.

District negotiators then presented a new version of its District Reappointment Form for union leaders to review.

The School Board’s negotiating team will present its counterproposals to Article 1 – Recognition and Article 12 – Leaves at the next bargaining session, which is tentatively scheduled for noon on Tuesday, May 10 at the BTU Office in Tamarac.

Questions, concerns or comments concerning BTU-ESP negotiations should be addressed to BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal at jneal@btuonline.com or at 954.486.6250 Ext. 231.

Union Offers Concessions

BTU-EP / April 21, 2011- Negotiators for the BTU-Education Professionals Unit and the School Board of Broward County met on Thursday, April 21 at the Atlantic Technical Center. The current negotiations are for the 2010-2011 school year.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said the union’s team members offered a new proposal that provides several important union concessions in consideration of the current challenging economic times to facilitate members receiving the district’s proposed full step movement. With mid year implementation retroactive to January, 2011, the full step movement provides members with only HALF the value or increase of each step. Overall, the district proposal equals an AVERAGE .98 percent increase of new monies on the existing salary schedule.

President Santeramo extended a very strong showing of good faith with his primary focus being on moving the contract talks forward toward a tentative agreement. He offered a comprehensive economic package proposal totaling more than $50 million dollars in concessions.   This package consists of the following:

• Suspend Teacher Directed Improvement Funds (TDIF) for one year.

• Non-renewal of teachers on one year only contracts. 

• Most Importantly, BTU has agreed to sign off on RTTT and SIG prior to the Florida Department of Education required deadline upon successful contract ratification.

These concessions were made with the below contingencies:

• BTU accepted the district’s salary and wage proposal implementing a step movement effective mid-year January 2011, which means that members would move a whole step but only receive half the salary increase of the step movement.

• BTU has agreed to a Retirement Assistance Program (RAP) with the district paying 100% health insurance for qualified members who are at least 58 years of age and on step 20 or higher with 10 years of service in Broward County. The program must have a minimum of 135 participants and teachers must retire by June 30, 2011.

• BTU has agreed to establish a joint labor / management committee to research, review, and negotiate prerequisites for implementation of Differentiated Accountability (DA), Race to the Top (RTTT), and School Improvement Grant (SIG) programs.

 

BTU clearly explained that we are precluded by Florida statute from entering into an agreement which dictates school schedules district wide and attached a copy of the relevant part of last year’s Impasse decision, which ruled against the district’s attempt to enforce district wide schedule changes.  It is noteworthy that initially the district's effort led by Area Superintendent Joel Herbst proposed to modify all high school schedules to seven periods.  For the past two negotiation sessions, district negotiators have already started excluding/exempting some secondary schools.  They have not however shown the decrease in cost by deducting those exemptions.

For some unknown reason, the district’s chief negotiator, Susan Dumala, chose to challenge the importance of distinguishing “the District” from “the District and its staff” in contract proposal language.  Dumala thanked the union’s negotiators for the movement but articulated concern of having “deliverables” by the June 1st deadline.  The language not addressing a deliverable date was the District’s exact proposal.  Ironically, the District’s negotiators have not postured themselves in a manner which reflects concern about the deadline after stalling for 15 weeks before offering an economic proposal.

It is important to note that Dumala did NOT (as usual) officially respond to the above union proposal so the contract talks must continue.

Union negotiators continue to strongly oppose the district’s proposal to limit the transfer rights of instructional staff with K-12 certification from transferring from elementary to secondary levels or secondary to elementary levels even in the event of layoffs. Members who would be impacted by this DISTRICT proposal are urged to express their opposition via e-mail to School Board members at schoolboard@browardschools.com.

The two teams will meet again at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 28 at the BTU office in Tamarac. Members with questions or concerns should address them to BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250 Ext. 228 or via e-mail at dramson@btuonline.com.

 

 

Negotiations Falter While Members Protest

BTU-EP / April 14, 2011 – Union and district negotiators met on Thursday in front of a full house of union and community members who were present to attend the BTU’s RESPECT Street Protest, which followed contract talks.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator said the union’s team stood firm on accepting the district’s proposal of a mid-year step increase effective January 1, 2011, which is an average .93 percent increase of new monies on the existing salary schedule with a $500 payment to those members on the top step who no longer move steps. However, the district and union negotiators have been unable to agree on how to pay for the increase as district officials want the entire “price tag” to be paid for by teachers and students who have already born the vast majority of budget cuts.

District negotiators rejected the union’s counter proposal concerning the Retirement Assistance Program and instead propose to deduct the cost of sick leave buyouts. School Board Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala admitted that this has never been done before.

In fact recently retired School Board Chief Counsel Ed Marko received nearly an entire year’s salary when he was paid out for unused sick and personal leave upon leaving the district. Superintendent Jim Notter who is leaving the district in June will likely also receive sick leave buyout. However, district negotiators are suggesting that teachers should give up that long-earned payment if they want to participate in the Retirement Assistant Program. This would cost RAP participants thousands of dollars in lost sick leave buyout.

The deadline for the district to receive $37 million in Race to the Top federal funds is quickly approaching. While month after month district negotiators showed no real effort to reach an agreement in good faith, they asked union negotiators to collaborate with the district so officials can receive the Race to the Top dollars as well as Differentiated Accountability and Student Improvement Grants. Based on the recent Grand Jury Report and inaction by district negotiators during contract talks, union negotiators have no reason to believe officials will spend the millions of tax dollars as intended. They have every reason to believe the dollars will be wasted and squandered within the district’s pervasive and well-documented culture of corruption that has remained largely unchanged.

“Based on the actions of the district’s negotiators during contract talks, we have every reason to believe that the corrupt administrators who remain within the obese bureaucratic structure of the school system will attempt to redirect those funds and hope not to be caught,” Ramson said. “Not only is the district negotiations team’s lack of collaboration offensive, but their lack of knowledge and unwillingness to provide accurate information is disheartening.”

Ramson advised the district's negotiators of union research conducted regarding the cost of unemployment insurance and employee layoffs, which appears to be the budget cutting item of choice for Superintendent Jim Notter -- except when it comes to administrators or any of his other friends.  Prior to last year, Broward schools paid approximately $250,000 a quarter for unemployment insurance and now officials are paying $2 million per quarter.  Accordingly, district officials are now paying $8 million a year to lay off staff and needlessly traumatize families. 

"It appears that the district has a serious problem with making wise budgetary decisions but have no problem making poor spending choices.  The district's budget problems are based more upon poor spending than employing smart solutions," Ramson said.

In order to show some good will, negotiations movement and a willingness to close the contract talks in time for the district to receive the Race to the Top tax dollars, union negotiators removed their proposal that would create a Surplus / Layoff Committee from the union’s package proposal.

The next negotiations session will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 at the Atlantic Technical Center. Any members with questions, comments or concerns should address them to BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at dramson@btuonline.com.

BTU-CSP Settle Contract

BTU-CSP / April 12, 2011 – Union leaders are proud to announce that a settlement agreement has been reached between the BTU-Charter School Professionals and negotiators for the City of Pembroke Pines regarding the 2010-2011 CSP contract. Negotiations were brought to a close between the two parties on Tuesday, April 12.

As part of the settlement agreement, those who received no step advancement for the 2010-2011 school year will receive a one-time $500 payment. The BTU-CSP contract still contains language that guarantees step movement annually. 

City negotiators additionally agreed to allow teachers to cash in a portion of their unused sick time and will give CSP bargaining unit members preference in filling supplemental vacancies. 
The formula for computing the amount of money given for sixth period supplements will also change as part of the settlement agreement. 

“Although this will result in a monetary reduction for some members, the whole unit will enjoy the guaranteed step language for another year, which is a huge victory,” BTU-CSP Chief Negotiator Jamie Daniels said. “Our charter school teachers have one of the strongest contracts in the state of Florida.”

Union leaders will now be conducting worksite meetings in order to discuss the contract settlement. Worksite stewards should have the most up-to-date information on the times and dates of these informational meetings.

The ratification vote for the new CSP contract will also take place during the next few weeks. As soon as more information is available, it will be communicated to all members.

BTU-TSP Negotiations Move Forward With Help of a Mediator

BTU-TSP / April 11, 2011 – Negotiators for the BTU-Technical Support Professionals and the School Board of Broward county met on April 11, 2011 at the BTU office.

The negotiators continued with the interest-based bargaining model with a mediator. The team members had set up a subcommittee to discuss job families and the lay-off procedure. A report from the subcommittee was presented at the negotiating session.

BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Steve Feldman reported that the job families used last year should be used this year due to the lateness in the process with the organizational chart already being made public and no need to make significant changes. District officials are considering the job families.

District negotiators provided information to BTU regarding the TSP sick leave bank. An issue regarding jury duty was tabled.

Union negotiators also presented an early retirement plan proposal for the district’s consideration. The proposal stipulates that Technical Support Professionals who are 55 years or older and have at least eight years of service would be eligible to have their monthly health insurance premium paid by the district until they reach Medicare eligibility.

The negotiators began the process of looking at issues surrounding the lay-off/ bumping process and brainstorming on suggested language to resolve any issues. 

The parties seemed to be in agreement that more frequent BTU-TSP labor management meetings should be held next year to consider job descriptions and job families.

The next bargaining session is at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 25 at PPO Training Lab in Lauderhill. Questions, concerns or comments concerning BTU-TSP negotiations should be addressed to BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Steve Feldman at sfeldman@btuonline.com or 954-486-6250 Ext. 223.

BTU-EP Negotiations Continue

BTU-EP / April 7, 2011 – Following another negotiations session that lacked any meaningful substance, BTU President Pat Santeramo is calling on all BTU members, district employees and parents to attend the RESPECT street protest during next week’s contract talks starting at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14 at the BTU office.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson reports School Board Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala arrived at this week’s contract talks without the economic data requested by the union’s negotiations team. Dumala completely ignored the negotiators’ request for data concerning what district level budget cuts they will be making. 

 Ramson said the School Board has offered teachers a 1 percent average salary increase, which costs about $8 million. At the same time, district negotiators are demanding teachers give up $100 million in negotiations concessions in exchange.

“The district wants to cut 100 million plus on the backs of the teachers,” Ramson said.   “Why should the teachers who are the artery of this educational system suffer all of economic hardship and furthermore why does the district refuse to share data?”

District negotiators did increase their economic proposal by offering a $250 bonus payment for teachers on the top step who are no longer moving steps. This is about $10 per pay check.

“It is insulting and a complete waste of member and taxpayer money that we have had 16 sessions and the district is still stalling,” Ramson said.

The next negotiations session is scheduled for Thursday, April 14 at the BTU office. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

District Shell Game Doesn't Play Out

BTU-EP / March 31, 2011 – Negotiators for the School Board of Broward County were so hostile and insulting during negotiations on March 31 that BTU President Pat Santeramo himself stepped in to respond.

Union negotiators had no choice but to reject the district’s confusing and ambiguous proposal package at the negotiations session.

“It is insulting that district negotiators expected us to accept their flawed proposals as a package deal,” BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said. “They continue to waste our time and, ironically enough, refuse to give us reliable data in a timely fashion so that we can we make informed and educated decisions about their own ideas.”   

The union’s negotiations team asked for the basic numbers needed to evaluate the package proposal during last week’s negotiations, and School Board Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala could not provide them at that time either.

“Dumala is frequently unprepared, produces and distributes substandard work products, eschews false data, changes her answers to the same questions frequently and continues to not respond to information requests in a timely manner,” Ramson continued.

Union negotiators had accepted the district’s proposal of a step effective January 2011 and offered a counter proposal to include a one-time payment of $500 to members on the top of the salary schedule. The BTU negotiations team had also collaborated with the district on other acceptable proposals, including: one day bereavement leave to be utilized in conjunction with personal leave, modified language for employment while on leave, and the creation of joint committees for Differentiated Accountability, Race to the Top and School Improvement grants.

Unfortunately, the district’s package included other offensive proposals, including a request that BTU circumvent state law and negotiate a straight seven-period schedule for “some" hand-picked high schools. Initially, the district negotiators suggested moving block schedules to a seven-period schedule for all high schools; however, now they wish to exempt four schools. Union leaders have consistently rejected such a proposal in the past.

Most recently, the special magistrate’s decision during last year’s impasse hearing specifically stated that the district offered no analytical data to determine the merit of such a proposal and change. The proposal is repugnant to Florida Statute 1001.42. The special magistrate clearly stated that it is appropriate for each individual worksite to decide their own school schedule. 

“The attempt on the district’s part to bring something to the table that has already been ruled on in BTU’s favor by the magistrate is arrogant and evidence of their attempt to strong arm us into giving up rights that are not ours to give up,” Ramson said.

Other unfavorable items in the package included new proposals offered after the December 16 deadline for exchanging proposals, which  is clearly a violation of the established negotiation ground  rules. The district’s negotiations team also tendered a new, untimely proposal on Article 18 – Due Process/ Personnel Files/ Employee Evaluation, a provision which had already been signed off on and tentatively agreed upon.

Following the BTU-EP Negotiation Team’s rejection of the cost-saving measures in the economic package, Dumala became belligerent and demanded to know what cost savings the union suggested to pay for step movement. Her posturing was so hostile that it summoned a response from President Pat Santeramo.

Santeramo reiterated that the union had repeatedly compiled and published cost-savings suggestions that totaled millions – more than enough to fund step movement without balancing the budget on the backs of education professionals. Santeramo shared examples of cost savings including: reducing calendars for principals not working at year-round schools (just as has already happened to teachers), reducing the number of assistant principals and developing a formula that determines the number of assistant principals needed based on actual student numbers, retiring the retired-rehired administrators and closing another area office. These reductions alone would result in $41.5 million in savings.

“One would think with the very recent resignation of Mr. Notter and all the district corruption the School Board would finally come to the table with respect and a true desire to show good faith bargaining,” Co-Chief Negotiator Ralph Eckhardt said.

The next negotiations session is scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 7 at Atlantic Technical Center. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

BTU-ESP Negotiations Present Counterproposal

BTU-ESP / March 29, 2011 – Negotiators for the BTU-Education Support Professionals and Management met for their sixth negotiation session on Tuesday, March 29 at the BTU Office.

District negotiators presented its counterproposal on Article 20 – Health & Safety. BTU-ESP negotiators made one change which was accepted by the district’s negotiators.

Both teams tentatively agreed to the newly developed Article 20.

“We are excited with the tentative agreement on this newly developed article that addresses Health and Safety processes and procedures to ensure that our ESPs are protected during their workday,” BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal said.

District negotiators will contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal to set the date for the next session.

For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-ESP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal at 954-486-6250.

BTU-EP Negotiations Make Progress

BTU-EP / March 25, 2011 – Union negotiators were pleased that representatives for the School Board of Broward County brought forth the beginnings of an economic proposal during contract negotiations on Thursday, March 25.

"Although it is somewhat refreshing to see district negotiators actually come to the table with some level of preparation, they still fell short of what the teachers deserve," BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said. 

While negotiators for the School Board presented an economic proposal, they did not come prepared with the basic numbers needed in order to fully evaluate such a package. When questioned, School Board Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala was unable to give specific cost savings for the items outlined in the proposal.

Much of the district's salary increase proposal derives from funding that would result from increasing the instructional workload of high school teachers. The resulting savings would result from the need for fewer secondary teachers who would be eliminated through attrition such as staff retiring or leaving the district for other reasons. Superintendent Jim Notter continues to push and stress the need to eliminate block schedules so all district secondary schools would be on the same six-of-seven period instructional day.

The union continues to support the right of teachers, parents and other community stakeholders to vote for their school's schedule. District and union officials have studied the school system's budget and found more than adequate funding for pay increases without increasing the instructional load of high school teachers and eliminating block schedules at those schools where teachers and parents have voted for such a schedule. Teachers and parents concerned about losing their schedule of choice should contact Superintendent Jim Notter's office and the respective school board member assigned to their potentially impacted schools with block schedules.

"I look forward to more fruitful conversations in the coming weeks that will hopefully lead us to a contract," Ramson said.

Dumala also submitted new proposals on Articles 25 (Transfers and Reassignments) and 26 (Reduction in Personnel), even though a joint committee had been created to review the processes in the articles. The joint committee addressing the provisions had already been signed off on March 10 and then again on March 17.

"This either evidences Dumala's intent to misdirect district administrators and board members or her detachment to what is going on at negotiations," Ramson said. "This is disheartening in light of the fact that Dumala is at the negotiations table every single week."

The next negotiations session is scheduled at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 31 at the BTU Office in Tamarac. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact Ramson at 954.486.6250.

Charter School Professionals Negotiations Continue

BTU-CSP / March 9, 2011 – Union negotiators and representatives for the City of Pembroke Pines met Wednesday, March 9 in an effort to bring a close to this year's contract negotiations.

Discussion between the two parties centered around the BTU-CSP Negotiation Team's proposal to continue the guaranteed step advancement that is currently a part of the charter contract. Negotiators for the City of Pembroke Pines have proposed removing that language because of possible future hard times.

"It looks as if both sides are close to an agreement on how supplements are awarded and language that would give our teachers the right to buy back a portion of their sick time," BTU-CSP Chief Negotiator Jamie Daniels said.

The next negotiations session is scheduled at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22 at the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-CSP contract negotiations, please contact Daniels at 954.486.6250.

Superintendent Jim Notter back-pedals in negotiations

BTU-EP / March 3, 2011 – Disappointingly, Superintendent Jim Notter and district negotiators have commenced backpedaling again in contract talks. 

“Superintendent Notter has started singing that same old scratched blues tune ‘there is no money for teacher raises,’” BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said. “Again, he wants to balance the budget for his corrupt pet projects and keeping his retired friends on the district's payroll on the backs of the teachers.”

Ramson said after reading the Florida Grand Jury’s recent investigative report it is crystal clear that Notter’s priorities do not include showing that he values Broward County’s education professionals. Despite several small steps forward recently, negotiations took big steps backward this week.

BTU’s negotiations team has been attempting to negotiate the return of the Retirement Assistance Program. Especially with the poor financial times, many long time employees have indicated an interest in leaving the district. 

“One would think this proposal would be a walk in the park in light of the fact that it has been offered in the past.  But, no!” Ramson said.  She added School Board Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala had to throw needless stumbling blocks in the way.

The union’s negotiators proposed the utilization of exact same criteria which had been agreed to and ratified previously minus the incentive payment.  Union negotiators thought eliminating the incentive payment in these tough economic times would assure an agreement, but this was not the case.

Dumala proffered a RAP package counterproposal:  1 – Eligibility: 58 years of age, step 20 or higher, 10 years service in the district; 2 - Sign an irrevocable retirement form and 3 – Retire at the conclusion of the 2010-2011 school year. 

The district negotiators’ package deal further stated they would agree to the RAP proposal with their modifications only if union negotiators would agree to waive the Teacher Directed Improvement Funds (Article 23) and suspend release time provided for department/grade level chairpersons and team leaders (Article 9) for  2011-2012 school year.

“The request that we pay for a retirement assistance plan from which the district would save money clearly lacks good faith negotiations and is quite offensive,” Ramson said.

Contract agreements for all district employees are impacted by the ongoing negotiations between the district’s instruction staff and the school board. Unfortunately, Superintendent Jim Notter has, once again, slowed the negotiations process despite the union’s willingness to collaborate on an agreement.

ALL MEMBERS ARE ASKED TO CALL AND E-MAIL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE THEIR SCHEDULED WORK DAY STARTS, DURING THEIR DUTY FREE LUNCH AND AFTER THEIR SCHEDULED WORK DAY ENDS -- TELL THEM TO URGE SUPERINTENDENT NOTTER TO STOP STANDING IN THE WAY OF A CONTRACT AGREEMENT.

POINT ONE: Notter agreed to form a joint union and district finance (budget cutting) committee to identify money that could be used for salary schedule step movement and/or raises.

POINT TWO: The joint union and district finance committee identified millions of dollars – more than enough to be used for step movement and/or raises.

POINT THREE: Why did Notter form a joint finance committee if he is going to ignore the funding they identified for step movement and/or raises?

POINT FOUR: School board members need to instruct Notter to work collaboratively just as the union’s negotiators are doing to reach a contract agreement.

POINT FIVE: Notter’s joint finance committee has identified more than enough money to settle the contract and give employees the step movement and/or salary increase they deserve – it’s time for him to settle the contract.

Chair Ben Williams (Dist. 5): 754-321-2005 / ruth.lutz@browardschools.com (secretary)

Vice-Chair Ann Murray (Dist. 1): 754-321-2001 / ann.murray@browardschools.com

Member Robin Bartleman (At-Large): 754-321-2009 / robin.bartleman@browardschools.com

Member Jennifer Gottlieb (At-Large): 754-321-2008 / Jennifer.gottlieb@browardschools.com

Member Patricia Good (Dist. 2): 754-321-2002 / patricia.good@browardschools.com

Member Maureen Dinnen (Dist. 3): 754-321-2003 / mdinnen@browardschools.com

Member David Thomas (Dist. 4): 754-321-2004 / david.thomas@browardschools.com

Member Laurie Rich Levinson (Dist. 6): 754-321-2006 / laurie.richlevinson@browardschools.com

Member Nora Rupert (Dist. 7): 754-321-2007 / nora.rupert@browardschools.com

E-mail ALL school board members at: schoolboard@browardschools.com

 

Education Support Professionals Negotiations Continue

BTU-ESP / March 1, 2011 – Negotiators for the district and the BTU-ESP unit came close to tentatively agreeing on Article 20 - Heath & Safety at the fifth negotiations session between the two parties.

"The two negotiations teams are very close to a tentative agreement on the article," BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal said. "We are just waiting for clarification on the administration of medicine versus performance of medical procedures."

He added that they are also considering making some language changes to the number of ESPs allocated to serve on the Tools for Schools program and Air Quality/ Heath and Safety committee.

Members of the BTU-ESP Negotiations team include: Jerrod Neal, Ernestine Alleyne, Iris Froehlich, Lila Benbow, Katrina Blanks, Kenneth Mullens, Raymond Walker, Brigitte Ziegler. The district’s negotiations team is composed of: Susan Cooper, Donald Cottrell, James McDermott, Teresa Thelmas and recorder Nieves Grzybek, although Rusnak was absent during this week’s negotiations.

For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-ESP contract negotiations, please contact Neal at 954-486-6250.

BTU-TSP and District Teams Use Interest-Based Bargaining

BTU-TSP / February 28, 2011 – BTU-TSP and the Broward County School Board's negotiating teams used interest-based bargaining when discussing jury duty leave, veterans hiring preference and the sick leave bank at the negotiations session. Federal Mediator Gilbert Escurdero, who trained both teams in interest-based bargaining in the beginning of the year, served as facilitator.

Both parties agreed to establish a subcommittee that would propose language for changes to jury leave duty in Article 15 of the BTU-TSP contract. They also addressed the issue of veterans preference in the context of hiring and retention during any layoff process, specifically how it affects employee seniority. Negotiators for the district agreed to further explain veteran preference standards and criteria on its website and reference it in any layoff correspondences.

The two negotiations teams also discussed the possibility of the BTU administering the sick leave bank, which is currently administered by the district. Both teams will come to the next negotiations session with additional information on the issue.

Also on the agenda for the next negotiations are the issues of job families and an early retirement plan. The next negotiations session will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 11 at the PPO training lab in Lauderhill. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-TSP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Gary Itzkowitz at 954-486-6250.

BTU-EP Negotiations Inch Forward

BTU-EP / February 24, 2011 – BTU negotiators met with district officials today for the ongoing contract talks between the School Board and the district’s instructional staff.

“Some 'appetizers' were offered today but the 'main course' has yet to be served,” BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said. “We came to the table today hopeful that we would see more movement, but that didn’t happen.”

Ramson said the two negotiations teams came to an agreement in regards to the establishment of a joint subcommittee to address the concerns that specifically deal with Article 25 Reassignment and Transfer and Article 26 Reduction in Personnel (surplussing and layoff). This subcommittee must present recommendations to the negotiations teams by March 10, 2011. With the final product for the purposes of executing an agreement presented by April 15, 2011. Disappointingly, the negotiators have not been able to reach an agreement concerning criteria for guidelines about voluntary reassignments under Article 25.

In regards to salary increases, Ramson presented an economic proposal, which would achieve a portion of a step movement on the salary schedule effective January 2011 and another step movement on the salary schedule would be made by July 2011. Bargaining unit members at the top of the salary scale who no longer move steps would receive $500 with each step movement. Still under consideration is the Retirement Assistance Program (RAP).

BTU members continue to have one of the strongest contracts in the State of Florida and the negotiators were successful in preventing district negotiators from reducing the strength of the agreement to the benefit of both sides. Negotiators tentatively agreed to preserve and keep contract articles 4, 10, 15 and 26 in their original language.

The next negotiations session will be at 2 p.m. at the Atlantic Technical Center on Thursday, March 3, 2011. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

BTU-EP Negotiations Move Forward

BTU-EP / February 17, 2011 – Slow but steady progress was again made at the negotiations table for instructional staff today.  

Negotiations began with the district’s Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala submitting an economic proposal designating $4 million for a 1 percent raise. When seeking clarification, union negotiators discovered it was actually a .5 percent "bonus" as it would be retroactive only to January 2011. The BTU-EP Negotiations Team reiterated its commitment to gaining two salary step movements.

Both parties then exchanged proposals on a possible Retirement Assistance Program (RAP). The district’s negotiations team members brought "in-house experts" to speak on their behalf.

“Dumala brought experts to the table for conversations she was not prepared to have herself,” BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said.

Currently, the district’s RAP proposal extends the program for one year once 150 participants sign up. Union negotiators are requesting a two-year program to begin once 100 participants register. The School Board’s proposal would deem education professionals eligible with a minimum of 25 years of service, while the union’s proposal would only require ten years of service. Finally, the district is offering to cover 75 percent of the insurance premium, while union negotiators request 100 percent coverage.

Ramson then presented proposals on Articles 25 and 26, which deal with "surplussing" and personnel reductions.  Union leaders remain hopeful that both parties will work together to improve the surplus and reduction process and eliminate the stress that members have felt in the past.

“The information regarding Race to the Top, SIG, and Differentiated Accountability that the district shared left the negotiations team frustrated, concerned and wanting more,” Ramson said. “With a deadline for these programs fast approaching, the district was unable to share its plan regarding implementation. About $40 million is at stake, and we hope the district will make a more genuine effort to bring a concrete plan of implementation to the table.”

The next negotiations session will be at the BTU Office in Tamarac on Thursday, February 24, 2011. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

Education Support Professionals Negotiations Continue

BTU-ESP / February 15, 2011 – The BTU-ESP negotiations team and representatives for the School Board of Broward County met again on Tuesday, February 15.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal and the School Board of Broward County’s Chief Negotiator Susan Cooper signed off on housekeeping changes on Article 1: Recognition; Article 4: Grievance Procedure; and the index.

both parties are close to coming to an agreement on this issue,” Neal said.

Members of the BTU-ESP Negotiations team include: Jerrod Neal, Ernestine Alleyne, Iris Froehlich, Lila Benbow, KatrinaBlanks, Kenneth Mullens, Raymond Walker and Brigitte Ziegler, although Ziegler was absent from this week’s negotiations. The district’s negotiations team is composed of: Susan Cooper, Donald Cottrell, Denise Rusnak, James McDermott, Teresa Thelmas, and recorder Nieves Grzybek.

The next negotiations session is currently scheduled at 1:00 p.m. on March 1 at the South Area office. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-TSP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal at 954.486.6250.

Members Attend Negotiations Session

BTU-EP / February 10, 2011 – More than 100 union stewards and members attended today's negotiations session between the Broward Teachers Union and the School Board of Broward County. All members are encouraged to keep up-to-date concerning the ongoing negotiations and to make sure their fellow union members know to go to www.BTUonline.com for the most current information.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson and School Board Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala signed a "charter" to form a joint union and district financial committee with the purpose of researching the district budget and locating areas of funding that could be used for salary increases. BTU President Pat Santeramo and Superintendent Jim Notter have appointed three representatives each to the committee. The committee will provide a list of possible salary increase funding sources to Santeramo and Notter no later than March 4.

Negotiators discussed numerous proposals concerning centralizing the layoff process, bereavement leave, and a salary increase proposal. Dumala indicated $15 million remains in the district's coffers from last summer's federal education jobs funding. Ramson said the union is committed to negotiating step increases for all members.

The BTU-EP negotiations team showed a PowerPoint presentation that demonstrated that Broward schools have amongst the best teachers in Florida. The presentation underscored that the same teachers are underpaid compared to other school districts in the tri-county area. The PowerPoint also showed many statistics concerning teacher attrition and student drop out as well as graduation rates.

Member attendees had the opportunity to participate in a question and answer period with district and union negotiations. The members also received free posters, other give-a-ways, beverages and snacks.

Again, all members are encouraged to keep up-to-date concerning the ongoing negotiations and to make sure their fellow union members know to go to www.BTUonline.com for the most current information. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

Education Professionals Contract Negotiations Making Progress

BTU-EP / February 3, 2011 – Thanks to the election of the four new school board members who union members helped put into office, recent contract negotiations have been increasingly more productive. BTU Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson and the School Board of Broward County’s Chief Negotiator Sue Dumala opened negotiations on Thursday, February 3 by tentatively agreeing on Article 19.

Also at the urging of the union’s BTU-EP negotiations team, Dumala withdrew the district’s proposals regarding Article 23 - Leaves. 

Dumala again told the BTU-EP negotiations team that she would have additional information on the  Retirement Assistance Program proposal at the next negotiations session. Union negotiators had proposed extending RAP from one year to two.

Again, thanks to union members’ hard work and successful organizing efforts, the election of four new school board members has positively impacted this year’s negotiations.

 “Keeping with the spirit of movement, a joint finance committee is being created to establish a plan of action to appropriate as much funds as possible to the teachers,” BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said.

Ramson asked Dumala what monies would be available for teachers, and Dumala indicated that money may be available from the Jobs Bill, but it would be given as a non-recurring bonus.

“While we appreciate the token, our goal has not changed – teachers must get what is rightfully owed to them,” Ramson said. “Additionally, while we are hopeful with the recent movement at the table, we remain cautiously optimistic; action not words is what we need now.”

The next negotiations session will be at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 10 at the BTU Office in Tamarac. All members are encouraged to attend this important negotiations session.

Education Support Professionals Negotiations Continue

BTU-ESP / February 1, 2011 – Negotiators for the district and the BTU-ESP unit met on Tuesday, February 1 for the third negotiations session.The meeting was held at the North Area Office in Pompano Beach.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal and the School Board of Broward County’s Chief Negotiator Susan Cooper signed off on housekeeping changes. They then began to discuss Article 1 – Recognition.

The district’s negotiations team also reviewed the BTU-ESP team’s proposal on Article 20 – Health and Safety. The district will offer its counterproposal at the next negotiations session.

Members of the BTU-ESP Negotiations team include: Jerrod Neal, Ernestine Alleyne, Iris Froehlich, Lila Benbow, Katrina Blanks, Kenneth Mullens, Raymond Walker, Brigitte Ziegler. The district’s negotiations team is composed of: Susan Cooper, Donald Cottrell, Denise Rusnak, Recorder:  Nieves Grzybek, James McDermott, Teresa Thelmas, although McDermott and Thelmas were absent during this week’s negotiations.

The next negotiations session is currently scheduled at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15 at the BTU Office in Tamarac. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-TSP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal at 954.486.6250.

BTU-TSP and District Teams Begin Bargaining

BTU-TSP / January 28, 2011 – The School Board of Broward County and BTU-TSP negotiating teams met on Friday, January 28, to begin the process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. With the assistance of Gilbert Escudero of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the parties have been trained in the interest-based bargaining process. Both district and union leaders are hopeful that this process will help the parties reach better agreements with greater efficiency.

In this first session, the teams began the preliminary process of identifying issues to be addressed in bargaining. Over time, greater focus will be brought to addressing the most important issues.  Both the union and district teams identified layoffs and various aspects of the layoff process as primary issues. Compensation, insurance and a number of other issues were brought up as well.

Prior to this meeting, Escudero conducted three joint training sessions on the interest-based bargaining process. The most recent and final training session took place on Friday morning just prior to bargaining that afternoon. Escudero will continue to assist in the bargaining process in the role of facilitator.

The respective teams are currently in the process of working with Escudero to schedule regular bargaining sessions through February and March. As more information becomes available, it will be communicated to all members.

Negotiations for Instructional Staff Begin to Move

BTU-EP / January 27, 2011 – Negotiators for the Broward Teachers Union and the School Board of Broward County saw movement today in contract talks as both sides conceded a few proposals. Members can cross-reference contract article listings in this summary with the BTU-EP contract, which is also located in the website’s contract section.

In an effort to demonstrate what union negotiators hope will be a continuing trend of movement, School Board Chief Negotiator Sue Dumala withdrew the districts proposals for Articles 9, 22J, and 29D.

Reiterating the union’s top priority, which is to get members their much overdo steps, BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson agreed to withdraw three of the union’s proposals as well. Those proposals were for Article 17G, 19R and 19W, which was altered with the supplement being reduced from $1100 to $550.

A representative from the District ESE Special Education Department was brought in at Ramson’s request to discuss Policy 6000.4 which deals with the Seclusion and Restraint of all students which was part of last year’s Florida House Bill 1073.

Legislators left to the negotiations process for individual districts who will be responsible for definition of seclusion and restraint and who is responsible to notify parents/guardians, and other certain internal procedures. It is important to note that the district chose to enact a policy in an effort to circumvent the mandate to negotiate these procedures.

Ramson said that it is the district’s duty to fully understand all the ramifications and stipulations that will occur as implementation begins. The union’s other main concern is that all stakeholders are on the "same page" in regards to how this policy is institutionalized in our schools.

Both sides mutually agreed to tentatively agree to keeping Article 19 and 22 in their original language.  Ramson requested that Dumala come to the table with a substantive counter proposal regarding a Retirement Assistant Program including information requested at previous meetings. Dumala said that request would be met at the next negotiations session to be held at Atlantic Vocational Technical Center on February 3rd.

For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

Union Negotiators Find Contract Talks Disheartening

BTU-EP / January 13, 2011 – Union and district negotiators continued contract talks today and BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson reported it was very disheartening to sit across from SBBC Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala who negotiates for the sixth largest school district in the United States and whose posturing clearly reflects that she does not value, nor respect the education professionals of this county. 

“BTU has for years attempted to get bereavement leave days for the loss of an immediate family member,” Ramson said. “Ms. Dumala asked if we could estimate the cost of this provision; could we guess at the number of employees that might use or abuse bereavement leave.  This response is clearly heartless and callous.” 

Dumala continued by commenting that the immediate family has grown through the years and that grieving costs the county money.  The appropriate professional response would have been a counterproposal defining and limiting the definition of “immediate family,” and/or requiring some type of documentation.

BTU-EP negotiators asked specific questions regarding the costs and savings of some of the district negotiators’ take back proposals, which include elimination and reduction of steward release days, ending department chair and team leader days; and suspension of TDIF (carryover balance). 

“Her responses were flippant and nonresponsive. I then inquired if BTU were to agree to temporarily suspend certain financial provisions would these monies go towards payment of a step?  Again she hem-hawed with an inaudible response,” Ramson said.

BTU-EP negotiators made it perfectly clear that President Santeramo would seriously consider cost saving proposals if the savings go towards the step increase for the members who are making the sacrifices.

The union’s negotiators submitted a proposal in an effort to comply with HB1073 Seclusion and Restraint. The district negotiators’ response again was cursory and nonresponsive simply stating that they would comply with the law. This piece of legislation requires the parties to negotiate certain definitions and reporting procedures. 

The union’s proposal was in compliance with the law.  Finally, the parties agreed to have the district’s expert come to the table for further discussion of this item. 

The two teams will not meet on Thursday, January 20. The next two negotiation sessions will take place at Atlantic Tech Center on Thursday, January 27 and Thursday, February 3. For questions or concerns about the ongoing BTU-EP contract negotiations, please contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

Education Support Professionals Negotiators Set Ground Rules

BTU-ESP / January 11, 2011 – Negotiators for the BTU’s Education Support Professionals Unit and the School Board of Broward County met for their second negotiations session today at the BTU offices.

BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal and District Chief Negotiator Susan Cooper signed an agreement that outlines the ground rules for this year’s contract talks. The BTU-ESP negotiations team requested that the ESP contract talks be moved from Wednesdays to Tuesdays. As a result, the two teams will be unable to meet on Tuesday, January 25th because the School Board will be voting on the tentative agreement for last year, which ESP members voted to pass before the winter holiday break.

at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 1st at a location yet to be announced. The BTU-ESP negotiation team members will meet to prepare for the session at 1 p.m. on the same day.

As per the adopted ground rules for this year’s BTU-ESP negotiations, the two teams will be conducting a limited re-opener, which means the entire contract will not be open for negotiations. Each team has the option to open three contract articles in addition to Article 15 Insurance and Article 17 Wages.

Neal and Cooper presented and exchanged full article proposals. The BTU-ESP negotiators opened Article 1--Recognition, Article 12--Leaves and a new Article 20-- Heath & Safety for negotiations.  The district’s negotiators opened only one--Article 14-Reduction in Force.

For questions or concerns about BTU-ESP negotiations, please contact BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal by phone at 954-486-6250 or via e-mail at jneal@btuonline.com.

Contract Negotiations Stumble

BTU-EP / December 16, 2010 – Union and district negotiators made their final exchange of proposals today and to no surprise, district officials did not provide an economic proposal.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said district negotiators once again proved that they do not value education professionals enough to provide a salary increase proposal. To add insult to injury, the proposals submitted by the district were all take backs.

1.  District negotiators proposed to reduce the number of release days for Dept Heads/ Team Leaders. They want to reduce the number of days from ten days to two days. Ironically, they also recognize that their duties will increase under Differentiated Accountability.

2. The district’s negotiators would also like to reduce union Steward Release Days from ten days to two days as well.

3. District negotiators proposed to suspend the waiver process for secondary schedule changes. Members will recall that this proposal directly conflicts with the special magistrate ruling at the 2009-2010 hearing.

4.  SBBC Chief Negotiator Susan Dumala again proposes to eliminate the $80,000 in accountability funds. Interestingly, she again eschewed false reasoning as articulated last year when she proposed the same thing and suggested there is no documentation to substantiate the expenditure.

5. The District also proposes to eliminate the Cafeteria Insurance Program and suspend usage of TDIF funds

For economic reasons, Dumala states the above proposed reductions/eliminations must be implemented. However, we have seen no reduction/elimination/suspensions of recruiting trips to NY and elsewhere, of re-hiring of retired administrators and of the number of consultants who formerly worked as administrators for the district.

“The bottom line is they have money for all of their little pet projects founded in cronyism such as offering Ed Marco $260,000 to be chief legal counsel emeritus, but no funding exists to show that they value the education professionals of Broward County, Ramson said.

Union negotiators proposals requested experience credit for bargaining unit members not yet accredited, ESOL updates, and statutory compliance with restraining and seclusion of students with disabilities laws.

The next session will be January 13, 2011 at Atlantic Vocational Center.  Any questions regarding negotiations should be directed to Negotiations Team Member Ralph Eckhardt at 954-486-6250.

Negotiators Make Progress

BTU-EP / December 9, 2010 – Negotiations between the BTU and SBBC this week resulted in significant progress on contract language.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said this year’s contract negotiations under the direction of the District’s new Associate Superintendent Gracie Diaz took several steps forward after she instructed the school system’s negotiations team to offer less than 50 proposals. Last year’s negotiations commenced with a combined 400 proposals.

“It appears despite the past ineffectiveness of the Director of Employee Relations who has historically and purposely, thwarted our collaborative efforts, there will be more diligent effort and progress made this year,” Ramson said.

Currently, the two teams are discussing proposals concerning insurance, early retirement, centralized hiring and class size limits.

Any members with questions or concerns should contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

School Board District Offers Counter Proposals

BTU-EP / December 2, 2010 – Union and district negotiators met again this week for contract talks between the BTU and SBBC.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said the District’s proposals centered around addressing transfers, surplussing and  layoff  issues.  The District’s negotiators would like to invoke the language of Article 18 which grants management the right to non renew first and second year annual contract teachers (despite the fact they have earned satisfactory performance evaluations) when a vacancy does not exist.  District officials assert this is an effort to centralize layoffs which would avoid preferential and/or discriminatory treatment. 

“Ironically the District’s language purports to do otherwise,” Ramson said. “They  propose to expand the list of educational professionals  exempt from surplus.”   

She added the District also proposes to exclude the expanded list of employees from layoffs. This has the potential of advancing cronyism because it allows principals to designate supplemental positions. It also fails to provide a deterrent for a principal’s failure to disclose their  school's vacancies.   

“The efforts of the Director of Non-Instructional Services to take on such a monumental yet needed change is commendable.  Maybe true reform is really on the horizon,” Ramson said.

Any members with questions or concerns should contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

BTU-TSP Negotiations Team Plans on Interest-Based Bargaining

BTU-TSP / November 18, 2010 –The BTU-TSP negotiations team and representatives for the School Board of Broward County met for a two-day training workshop under the auspices of a federal mediator to learn how to more productively use interest-based bargaining. Interest-based bargaining aims to resolve issues in a cooperative fashion, in contrast to traditional forms of bargaining which are more adversarial in nature.

“I see interest-based bargaining as a means to move negotiations for the upcoming 2010-2011 TSP contract in a more positive direction,” BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Gary Itzkowitz said. “It is win-win for both parties involved Itzkowitz notes that both sides seemed more receptive to having a positive and productive negotiating session following the two-day training session.

 Negotiations for 2010-2011 are set to begin in January. Tension between the union and School Board have been high over the past couple years. BTU-TSP negotiators hope that by using interest-based bargaining the TSP negotiations team will be able to focus on the structure of salary increases, health insurance, outsourcing layoffs and job families, among other issues.All members are encouraged to keep informed about BTU-TSP bargaining news and to provide input to the team whenever possible. The dates, times and locations of future negotiations sessions will be communicated to all members once they are scheduled. In addition, summaries will be posted in the union’s website under “Contract Negotiations News” following each negotiations session. Members can get more information at www.btuonline.com.

BTU-EP Negotiations Team Establishes Ground Rules, Agrees on TAs

BTU-EP / November 18, 2010 – Negotiators for the School Board of Broward County and the BTU Negotiations Team met for the second time yesterday, November 18. The two teams established ground rules during the negotiations session.  

“The atmosphere at the negotiations table was noticeably different. It was cordial and productive,” BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said. “The School Board’s Chief Negotiator Sue Dumala was willing to collaborate with the union and we hope this trend continues.”

In addition to establishing ground rules, the BTU Negotiations Team successfully persuaded the district to carry over the tentative agreements reached in the 2009-2010 negotiations sessions. The parties agreed that the exhaustive efforts of the negotiations sessions during the summer months should be recognized.

“We hope the district continues good faith bargaining. This is a great way to start off the school year’s contract negotiations,” Ramson said.

The two negotiations teams will meet again at 2:00 p.m. on December 2 at the BTU Office in Tamarac. Any members with questions or concerns should contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

Education Support Professionals Overwhelmingly Approve 2009-2010

Contract

BTU-ESP / November 18, 2010 – Members of the Broward Teachers Union Education Support Professionals Bargaining Unit overwhelmingly passed their contract agreement 97 percent “yes” to 3 percent “no” on Thursday, November 18, 2010.

BTU President Pat Santeramo and BTU-ESP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said they are pleased the agreement between the School Board of Broward County and the union passed. The agreement contains several significant changes to the BTU-ESP contract with the district as described below. Negotiations between the school board and union for the 2010-2011 school year will now begin soon.

1. Article 4—Grievance Procedure: Added anti‐discrimination clause

2. Article 6—Terms & Conditions of Employment: Addresses 4‐day work week

3. Article 13—Assignments, Vacancies, Transfers and Promotions: Reappointment—30 calendar days notification including job classification, work calendar, work hours, location and school year; Assignments—2 week notification; Job Progression‐‐‐ new language addressing movement to a certified position within the same job classification. Promotion—defined as advancement to higher job classification. Medical transfer language updated. Hardship Transfer guaranteed interview at 1 in 5 schools.

4. Article 15—Insurance: Employee reimbursement for loss, damage or destruction of clothing or personal property increased from $200 to $250.

5. Article 17—Wages: As a result of the 2008‐2009 contract negotiations employees who met the “Highly Qualified” standards were moved to the appropriate salary schedule, those on the Special Salary were moved to the new step salary schedule renamed “Program Assistant Schedule” and the advanced degree incentive was implemented. All of these newly developed schedules and degree incentives are being brought forth to be included with this ratification along with the housekeeping changes to officially place them in the collective bargaining agreement.

• Salary schedule for the placement of Highly Qualified Classroom Assistants (Grade 11)

• Salary schedule for the placement of Highly Qualified Teacher Assistants (Grade 13)

• Replaced Special Salary Schedule with a step salary schedule renamed “Program Assistant Schedule.

• Advanced Degree Incentive – Bachelor’s $425, Master’s $625 if degree is above what is required by job.

Housekeeping changes were made throughout the contract. The housekeeping changes included updating job classification titles; replacing the word “building representative” with “steward”; changing title of the organization from “Association” to “BTU‐ESP”; changing “Emotionally Handicapped (EH)” to “Emotional Behavioral Disability (E/BD)”, and removing obsolete language.

Charter School Negotiations Team Offers Counterproposals

BTU-CSP / November 9, 2010 – Union negotiators offered their counterproposals to the City of Pembroke Pines representatives regarding negotiations for the 2010-2011 school year on Tuesday, November 9.

Discussions between the two negotiations teams centered around the union’s previously presented proposals from early October and city representatives’ proposals to reduce the supplement amount currently paid for teaching an additional class period and to remove guaranteed step movement from the CSP contract. The BTU-CSP negotiations team had previously brought four proposals to the table, including: establishing guidelines for how supplementary positions are awarded, adding language that would give teachers the ability to cash out a portion of their sick time, changing the way principals record incidents of discipline, and adding more days for professional development opportunities outside of school.

“While no agreements were made, I believe both sides are close to coming to an agreement on proposals regarding cashing out unused sick time and the manner in which supplemental positions are awarded,” BTU Chief Negotiator Jamie Daniels said. “Our teachers deserve to know that when they start the school year city officials’ commitment to them will equal the commitment they show to their children.”

City Manager Charlie Dodge concluded the negotiations session by informing the BTU-CSP negotiations team that he was going to speak to the Pembroke Pines City Commission regarding the financial aspects of the current proposals. The next negotiations session will be scheduled following his meeting. When the next negotiations session is scheduled, it will be communicated to all members.  

Members with comments, questions or concerns about BTU-CSP negotiations should contact Daniels at 954-486-6250 Ext. 241.

District Files ULP and Comes to the Table Unprepared

BTU-EP / November 4, 2010 – To no surprise Chief Negotiator Sue Dumala came to the first negotiation session late, unprepared, and without authority to enter into simple ground rules. 

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said the District filed an Unfair Labor Practice on September 29, 2010, demanding that the Public Employee Relations Commission direct BTU to immediately commence negotiations for 2010-2011. It should be known there is no statutory law, nor policy, nor regulation which facilitates for this type of mandate. 

“It was irrational for Superintendent Jim Notter to expect the parties to begin upcoming negotiations for the 2010-2011 school year before the 2009-2010 negotiations were brought to conclusion,” Ramson said. She added that the two teams met on the day employees cast a historic “No!” vote by rejecting the School Board’s imposed contract.

Since the inception of BTU in 1969, the district has never initiated negotiations.   Having made such a bold move, BTU in good faith believed the district negotiators were prepared to move forward with the new round of contract talks. Accordingly, the first session was scheduled - without a hearing (of which we had a very strong likelihood of prevailing) demanding us to do so.  

The BTU extended the olive branch, as stepping stone to progress,  only to have our  efforts thwarted, Ramson added. The first negotiations session generally always involves establishing ground rules, which should be a simple elementary process.

“Oops ! This is not when district negotiators are never prepared,  ‘I have no authority, and will get back to you,’ stated District Chief Negotiator Dumala appearing to be in the house singing the same monotonous off key tune!” Ramson said.  “Suffice it to say, BTU’s negotiation team was ready, willing, able and prepared, as usual.”

Any members with questions or concerns should contact BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson at 954-486-6250.

City of Pembroke Pines Offers Counterproposals

BTU-CSP / October 27, 2010 – Union negotiators and representatives for the City of Pembroke Pines met Monday, October 25 for the second round of negotiations.  The city came prepared with its responses to the BTU-CSP negotiations team’s initial proposals and added one new proposal.

For the first time, the City of Pembroke Pines representatives decided to propose taking away the guaranteed step advancement in the BTU-CSP contract citing a deficit in the Charter School budget as the main reason.

BTU-CSP Chief Negotiator Jamie Daniels said the that city and union seemed close to coming to an agreement with all of the current proposals on the table except for the guaranteed step movement elimination.

“Except for the proposal eliminating guaranteed step movement, I think we are close to coming to agreements on the other issues, which include cashing in sick time and procedures for disciplinary letters,” Daniels said. “While we realize that the economy is an issue, we believe the city can and should allocate their resources in such a way that will ultimately benefit the children of the Charter Schools the most.”

The two negotiations teams will meet again at 4:00 p.m. on November 9, 2010 at the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center in Pembroke Pines.  Members with comments, questions or concerns about BTU-CSP negotiations should contact Daniels at 954-486-6250 Ext. 241.

 

Charter School Professionals Begin Negotiations

BTU-CSP/ October 5, 2010 – Union and city officials met yesterday, Monday, October 4, 2010 to open up the 2010-2011 Contract Negotiations.

Contract negotiations for the City of Pembroke Pines Charter Schools are looking promising this school year because BTU members joined union members all across the nation in lobbying Congress this summer to provide additional federal funds for traditional and charter schools. Although the exact amount of new dollars for the City of Pembroke Pines Charter Schools has yet to be determined, union members who made hundreds of telephone calls and sent e-mails to their representatives are very pleased to be directly responsible for the new federal funding going to the Pembroke Pines Charter Schools.

so continue to have one of the strongest salary schedules in the state.

During this week’s charter school negotiations, BTU-CSP negotiators brought four proposals to the table. The topics of the proposals included guidelines for how supplementary positions are awarded and language that would give teachers the ability to cash out a portion of their sick time. In addition to those two issues, BTU-CSP negotiators also proposed a change to the way principals record incidents of discipline. They additionally want to add more days for professional development opportunities outside of school.

The BTU-CSP’s union brothers and sisters who teach for Broward’s traditional public schools could really use the support of any and all members at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, October 18 at the Plantation High School Auditorium where they will conduct a contract negotiations impasse protest and School Board hearing. The first 200 members to arrive will receive a free T-shirt, and food and beverages will be available. Ample free parking is on site. The BTU-CSP’s union brothers and sisters are doing everything they can to get minimal salary schedule step movement.

The next BTU-CSP negotiations session is scheduled at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 25, 2010 at the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center. Any members with questions or concerns should contact BTU-CSP Chief Negotiator Jamie Daniels at 954-486-6250 Ext. 241.

BTU-EP Contract Negotiations Still at Impasse

BTU-EP/ August 23, 2010 – Contract negotiations for the 2009-2010 school year remain in impasse. The union members' success in delivering $50 million in new federal funding to Broward schools has renewed very general talks that may or may not lead to a tentative agreement. These informal conceptual talks may also provide the framework for possible agreements for all of BTU's unit's: Education Professionals, Education Support Professionals and Technical Support Professionals. Negotiations for the Pembroke Pines Charter Schools will resume soon.

While the BTU continues to fight for a minimal step movement for all members as well as a payment to those at the top the salary schedule who no longer move steps through the impasse process, the union achieved several successes in the impasse process for all members:

++ Negotiators fought back the efforts of district officials who adamantly fought for the right to involuntarily transfer any teacher who demonstrated success in raising student achievement to the school system's lowest performing schools -- whether the teacher wanted to go or not. They also wanted to take away these teachers' right to transfer from their new assignment for at least three years. If successful, this district proposal would have impacted virtually all members and Broward schools in devastating ways.

Knowing they were going to lose before the impasse's special magistrate even ruled, district officials withdrew their outrageous proposal from the impasse proceedings and instead agreed to form a joint district and union Differentiated Accountability Committee to study the proposal and find agreeable ways to implement it.

++ Union negotiators were able to successfully fight off the proposal by district officials that they be able to dictate the schedules of all schools instead of the current system that allows staff to vote on their worksite's schedule within the district's start and end times. The special magistrate agreed with union negotiators that staff at each worksite must have a voice in the process of determining their school's schedule.

++ During the impasse process, union negotiators were also successful in stopping district officials from increasing the workload of all high school staff with no additional pay by mandating their instructional schedules change from five of seven hours to six of seven hours. While district officials argued it would not, union negotiators vehemently argued that the officials' proposal would result in a workload increase for
all existing high school staff with no additional pay and a decrease in planning and professional development time as well as the loss of hundreds of jobs that would have had a domino effect through the district even into middle schools due to certification and seniority issues.

Currently, the impasse process is headed to a hearing before the members of the School Board. The time, date and location of the
hearing has yet to be finalized, but as soon as it is established ALL members will be needed to recruit and organize their fellow members, friends and neighbors and other community members to attend the hearing. The outcome of the impasse hearing will impact all district employees directly and indirectly. More information will be released as soon as it is available.

BTU-TSP Negotiations Mediation Scheduled

BTU-EP/ May 7, 2010 – Mediation in the contract negotiations between the Broward Teachers Union and School Board of Broward County concluded today, Friday, May 7 at the Tamarac City Hall with what both sides described as positive and productive talks.

BTU President Pat Santeramo said the union and district reached tentative agreements on several issues, but more importantly the two sides tentatively agreed to meet again with Mediator Tom Young with the time, date and location to be further discussed and determined. If the two sides meet again with the mediator, negotiators will continue to discuss salary increases as well as employee district waste and budget-cutting suggestions.

“The BTU is pleased that the negotiators were able to enter into positive and productive discussions with the mediator’s help,” Santeramo said. “We remain optimistic that the two sides will be able to reach an agreement.”

BTU Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson said the union’s negotiators worked very hard to keep the mediation talks moving forward in a positive direction. While the two sides did not reach a tentative agreement on salary increases, the BTU made major movement concerning its salary proposal considering the district’s current economic challenges.

Union negotiators formally proposed that all bargaining unit members receive step movement and those bargaining unit members on the top of the salary schedule who do not move a step receive a $1,500 salary increase. This amount equals approximately a 2 percent increase. The union also withdrew its proposal of any increases to the district’s supplements schedule.

The following is a brief description of the tentative agreements reached during Thursday and Friday’s mediation sessions:

Article 4 – Professional Qualification and Assignments

BTU agreed to withdraw its proposal to centralize the hiring of teachers as opposed to it being done at individual schools.

Article 15 – Accountability

The district agreed to return to original contract language authorizing funding for the district’s accountability program.

Article 22 – Insurance

The parties agreed to return to original language with the district assuming 100 percent of the health insurance premiums for HMO and Consumer Driven Plan coverage for individual employees and agreed to utilize 50 percent of the savings received from the increase in cost sharing for PPO coverage to offset dependent coverage in the HMO.

Articl

The union withdrew its proposal for collaborative access with the district to the BECON television network.

Article 30 – Miscellaneous

The two sides agreed to maintain contract language as it pertains to the union’s use of the district’s “pony system” for purposes of distributing the contract.

Appendix E – Salary Schedule

The BTU formally submitted the proposal that all bargaining unit members receive step movement and those bargaining unit members on the top of the salary schedule who do not move a step receive a $1,500 salary increase. This amount equals approximately a 2 percent increase.

Appendix F – Supplements

The BTU withdrew its proposal for any increases to the supplement schedule.

Union and District Conclude Negotiations Mediation

BTU-TSP/ May 10, 2010 – Negotiators for the BTU-TSP and the School Board of Broward County will meet at 10:00 a.m. on May 19 at the district’s Sawgrass Tech Building / South Area Office. The mediation process will likely take all day and if progress is made, the two sides will have the option of scheduling additional mediation sessions. For more information, please contact BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal at jneal@btuonline.com.

BTU-Technical Support Professionals and School Board Enter Mediation

BTU-TSP / March 17,2010 – After months of unresolved and drawn-out contract negotiations between the BTU-Technical Support Professionals and the School Board of Broward County, negotiators agreed today to enter non-binding mediation in hopes of reaching an agreement.

BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal said the negotiators agreed to appoint Attorney Harry Boreth of Glasser, Boreth & Kleppin in Plantation to conduct the mediation. Some of the main contention points that union negotiators hope to resolve in mediation include additional duty pay, improved health insurance and a salary increase for the 2009-2010 school year.

“Negotiations have so far proved to be fruitless with the district,” BTU President Pat Santeramo said. “We look forward to moving forward with this process.”BTU negotiators propose beginning mediation at the start of April following the district’s spring break and continuing through Friday, April 30, 2010 until the parties have successfully reached an agreement or until either team feels mediation is no longer useful. The proposed mediation rules allow each team to have four members and one principal spokesperson. Union leaders will meet with district representatives by Wednesday, March 24 to approve the ground rules.

“We have received a firm commitment on our side to proceed with mediation,” School Board Negotiator Lerenzo Calhoun said. “My hope is that we go to mediation and close the contract.”

The union will conduct mediation sessions in place of negotiations.  During mediation, the technical support professionals’ team will be in one room and district’s team in another. The mediator will go between the rooms, working to get both sides to come to an agreement.

BTU-TSP Negotiations Team Proposes Pilot Program

BTU-TSP / March 3, 2010 – The BTU-TSP negotiations team and the SBBC met again in what Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal hoped would be a fruitful negotiations session; however, Neal said once again negotiations turned into nothing more than the SBBC showing more interest in working on Job Families than anything else.

“I quickly reminded the district’s negotiations team that we were prepared to discuss Job Families, but ER&D Director Sue Dumala was more interested in invoking contract language on notice, something that would not permit our individuals who had the expertise to explain why we proposed our recommended Job Families in the manner in which we did to come to the meeting.”

Neal said the teams discussed ad nauseam that in the event layoffs did occur, last year’s Job Families list would be used to determine which family individuals belonged to.

“As we talked about the Job Families, I started to realize that the district negotiators’ main interest was once again making everything easy for themselves in the event of layoffs and that they had no consideration to those things that will benefit workers,” Neal said.  

The BTU-TSP negotiations team also submitted a one-year “Pilot Program” proposal to the SBBC that would allow workers to be compensated additional hourly dollars to assume work that would need to be done in the event of layoffs. The program would start on July 1, 2010 and end June 30, 2011. As in most cases dealing with proposals that would cost the district, the SBBC hedged on making a commitment. Neal reiterated that if the district tries to make workers take on additional duties without compensating them, either the work will not get done or grievances on top of grievances will be filed.

The next negotiations session will take place on Wednesday, March 17 at the BTU office. Members with comments, questions or concerns about BTU-TSP negotiations should contact Neal by telephone at 954-486-6250 Ext. 231 or via e-mail at jneal@btuonline.com.

Negotiations Flounder with No School Board Leadership: Scandals

Continue to Plague Superintendent James F. Notter

BTU-EP / February 25, 2010 – With a school board vacuum of leadership unseen in years, negotiators for the union and district continued contract talks with absolutely no progress one way or another. While district officials continue to grapple with one scandal after another, they have yet to find a single penny of money for raises most likely because they refuse to cut waste from the budget.

BTU Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson reports the district continues to express interest in entering non-binding mediation, but no interest in reaching even the most simple agreements concerning simplistic issues such as union staff access to worksites that have already been agreed to by the contract administration committee. It should be noted that non-binding mediation costs money and neither side would be required to implement any agreements as a result of the process.

“In reality, we are negotiating against ourselves because of the school board’s uniformed, hands off approach to negotiations, workers rights and cutting waste,” Ramson said. “It is long past due for school board members to step up and show the leadership needed to bring the contract talks to a close.”

Ramson added Superintendent Jim Notter has proven that he lacks the skill to guide the district through the current challenging economic times. Employee morale even for those groups that have contract agreements is at an all time low since Notter became superintendent and this cannot help but impact student achievement.

Notter continues to suggest eliminating employees, keeping his administrative friends on the payroll and cutting only those items that impact the employees who work most directly with students. She provided proof by pointing out that not a single administrator has been sent to the unemployment lines while hundreds of employees have lost their jobs.

Notter has expressed in writing that he is only willing to eliminate wasteful spending if it applies to employees and not administrators such as those who unnecessarily work extended summer schedules. Union leaders want Notter to follow the waste-cutting recommendations of employees.

She said this week’s negotiations session included a presentation from Jeff Angelo, a district consultant, with Dildra Martin-Ogborne who is Director of the Benefits Department. The BTU continues to push for another retirement assistance program much like virtually all organizations provide early retirement when they are experiencing financial challenges.

Angelo made a presentation in response to the BTU’s proposal about the retirement assistance program, which includes health insurance coverage for individuals up to the age of 65. This showed a savings of $4.8 million over a nine-year period, with the greatest portion of savings occurring over the first three years. This is for persons who do not participate in the DROP program. School Board Chief Negotiator Sue Dumala responded, “the district has not taken a position on this yet.” It was surprising and alarming to the negotiation’s team because this would save the district almost $5 million. Union negotiators view Dumala’s response as yet another stalling technique to protract negotiations at the expense of teachers.

As referenced earlier, Dumala inquired if the BTU would be interested in going to mediation. Union negotiator Ralph Eckhardt responded that he could not officially agree, however, he inquired if district officials would consider using Special Master Tom Young who is knowledgeable of the district and union’s issues because he oversaw last year’s impasse process.

Eckhardt indicated the union and district would have to share the cost. However, Young’s knowledge of the issues should be recognized as valuable.

Dumala then inquired about Notter’s interest in all high schools going to a straight seven hour schedule with teachers increasing their workload with no additional compensation by teaching 6 of 7 classes. Eckhardt reiterated the union’s strong opposition to the proposal.

Ralph replied, “Let me be very clear on this issue. I will repeat with Dane Ramson has been saying over the last several months of negotiations. The BTU will not tolerate cutting 500 high school teachers. Schools and teachers should determine their own schedules. The BTU will not support a program that will destroy the education process and potentially destroy working families and the community through additional teachers being laid off again this year.”

Dumala responded that only 394 teachers were laid off last year and not 500 teachers. She then retorted that “the blame should be placed on Tallahassee, not the district” but seemed unmoved by the effect that these decisions have on peoples’ lives.

“Whether increasing the workload of all high school teachers would result in 500 or 400 employees going to the unemployment lines, Dumala’s response was a cold and callous remark,” Eckhardt said.

Principals have been told to cut 6-10% of their budgets for next year. All stewards are asked to make sure they request a copy of their budget so budget cuts can be released to the press and the public. Principals who decide to cut employees instead of waste are not justified. The BTU will not accept any employee layoffs in lieu of cutting waste.

Dumala ended negotiations by proposing that the two teams meet next week at Atlantic Technical Center. Eckhardt suggested that we move the next meeting to March 18 (three weeks from today) in respect of teachers’ schedules for FCAT preparations and FCAT testing.

Seemingly unaware, Dumala disagreed, which is ironic given that, for years, district officials have not been willing to meet with the union of any committees during FCAT testing (no fieldtrips, no conferences, no meetings at all) recognizing that FCAT week is one of the most important and stressful times for teachers and students. The BTU bargaining team, in an effort to acknowledge the stress and the importance of the FCAT, again proposed that we not meet for the following two weeks. Dumala refused.

The two sides failed to set a definitive date for the next negotiations. As soon as it is available, it will be released.

District Officials Have No Money; Refuse to Cut Waste

BTU-EP/ February 11, 2010 –  As expected district negotiators arrived at Negotiation Session #27 without an economic proposal. They submitted budget projections for the 2010-2011 school year in an effort to support their usual doom and gloom position and made no movement on cutting waste.

BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson pointed out that the budget projections offered by the district’s negotiators were the same ones that were presented to school system officials last week. The budget information included no movements by district officials to cut the pervasive waste that permeates every aspect of the school system’s operations.

Even throughout union negotiators were expecting a response and some healthy discourse about the union’s RAP proposal, it was not forthcoming. Chief Negotiator Dumala stated that after review of the proposal’s actuaries by the Benefits Department, she felt it was incomplete and requested the package be further scrutinized.

BTU President Pat Santeramo, in a good faith effort to show reasonableness, authorized a package proposal withdrawing the request to increase all supplements by 5 percent in return for acceptance of the union’s contract language proposal for centralized hiring (Article 4), staff reductions being based on a reduction in state funds only (Article 26), union notification concerning steward release days (Article 29) and joint production time on BEACON

The next session will be held at 2:30 p.m. on February 25 at the BTU office. Members with comments, questions or concerns about BTU-EP negotiations should call Ramson by telephone at 954-486-6250 Ext. 228 or via e-mail at dramson@btuonline.com.

Negotiators Discuss Layoff Procedures

BTU-TSP/ February 3, 2010 –  On Wednesday, February 3, contract negotiations resumed between the BTU-Technical Support Professionals Unit and the School Board of Broward County before a packed crowd of members.

BTU-TSP Chief Negotiator Jerrod Neal said district negotiators offered a counterproposal to Article 14, Layoffs and Recall, it was the union negotiators’ responsibility to respond back with a counterproposal. There was no way the union can except the district’s language as it is written.

“Once again district negotiators are trying to take all the responsibility themselves in the event of a layoff. Instead, they want to place all the responsibility on the employee, who will not be thinking about trying to get on to CAB and everything else they want employees to do. The newly laid off employees will be more interested in trying to find employment wherever they can so they can feed their families and handle other financial obligations,” Neal said.

District Chief Negotiator Lorenzo Calhoun said he was offended that union negotiators thought the SBBC was trying to take advantage of these workers when in fact district negotiators have put more things in the language to help. Neal told Calhoun at that point to stop trying to play to the crowd that had gathered for the negotiations.

“Most of the proposals the SBBC has presented is strictly to take advantage of the workers,” Neal said.

The SBBS also proposed a Job Family grouping that places more restrictions on employees’ movement into other similar jobs where they would meet the minimum qualifications. Neal explained the district negotiators’ proposal was nothing more than an attempt to be able to keep employees who they approve of and have more opportunity to get rid of those they don’t.

The next negotiations session will take place on Wednesday, February 17 at the BTU office. Members with comments, questions or concerns about BTU-TSP negotiations should contact Neal by telephone at 954-486-6250 Ext.231 or via e-mail at jneal@btuonline.com.

District Negotiators Propose Mediation: “Lack Good Faith Effort to

Mediate Resolution”

BTU-EP/ January 28, 2010- Again, after 26 sessions District officials came to the negotiations table without an economic proposal that would provide a minimal cost of living salary increase or address the staggering skyrocket in dependent health insurance premiums by up to 45 percent.

BTU Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson reports district negotiators submitted a counterproposal to Article 29, Union Rights concerning steward releases days. They modified their original diminution of days, looking to decrease stewards release days from six to two. Today’s proposal was to have four release days from their original two. Members should be advised that the collective bargaining agreement currently provides for six stewards release days. Union negotiators’ counterproposal maintains current provisions.

Union negotiators expected district negotiators would return to the table with a counterproposal regarding the Union’s Appendix, Retirement Incentive Program. The district’s Chief Negotiators Susan Dumala stated that the information is being reviewed by the district’s Benefits Department and at “first blush” it did not seem cost effective. Union shared hard data and documentation sustaining last year’s cost and reflecting a minimum of $1.5 million in savings upon implementation.

The district negotiator’s proposal to increase the workload of all high school teachers from five of seven hours to six of seven, which would result in a reduction of hundreds of positions, remains active. Union negotiators continue to fight the district negotiators’ proposal to dramatically change employee rights, transfer provisions and working conditions under the pretense of the Differentiated Accountability Program.

District negotiators have requested the union consider mediation. Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process, facilitated by a neutral third party during which the parties in good faith, attempt to mutually resolve outstanding issues. It is important to note that there must be a sincere good faith effort to mediate.

“Unfortunately, the atmosphere at the negotiation table this year has been riddle with deception, dishonesty, division and a cleat absence of concern for the welfare of the education professional of the School Board of Broward County,” Ramson said. “However, remaining ever so hopeful, we put the district’s request to the test.”

Ramson said union negotiators proffered a proposal which has already been approved by the Contract Administrator Committee process and would have absolutely no economic impact upon implementation. This proposal merely codified an existing practice, requiring union officials to notify administrators when entering the worksite. Acceptance thereof would have shown a scintilla of good simplistically rejected the proposal with “NO.”

The next session will take place from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 11 at Atlantic Technical Center.

No Contract Agreement or Salary Increase, But School Board Slaps

Notter, Begins Cleaning “House of Cronies”

BTU-EP/ January 15, 2010- Superintendent Jim Notter continues to use his best union busting cronies, Director of Employee Relations Susan Dumala, to demonstrate he continues to not value Broward schools’ education professionals or their students. The school board commenced to “clean house” amongst the district’s top executives.  Even so, the superintendent’s mean spirited negotiations proposals do not reflect respect for workers’ rights.

“Every member has a vested interest in the ongoing contract negotiations because all employees are being attacked,” BTU President Pat Santerramo said. “Rarely have so many employee rights been under assault by Notter and his retired-friends.”

Following this week’s negotiations session, BTU-EP Chief Negotiator Dane Ramson reported that it is clear that Notter appears to have no real interest in reaching any kind of contract agreement. He continues to try and use and manipulate the challenging economic times to further his own personal agenda that does not include the best interest of employees and students. Fortunately, school board members recently provided him with a substantial set back when they voted against participating in the federal Race to the Top grant program. This program would have potentially furthered his efforts to weaken the effectiveness of the contract.

In addition to offering no economic nor salary increase proposals, Notter wants teachers to give up the right to vote for their own school schedules. He claims the schedule change would save the district $35 million dollars. Even so, he has failed to tell school board members, employees and parents that it will result in even more employees losing their jobs.

Notter wants total control and the ability to micro-manage schools. This district proposal will result in changing schedules from five of seven instructional hours, or block schedules, to six of seven hours with no additional compensation.

The superintendent and none for the district’s negotiators have indicated if any of the savings will go to compensate employees for the workload increase. Union negotiators continue fighting this attack.

The union’s negotiators keep trying to beat back, Notter’s efforts to strip the contract of employee rights against involuntary transfers. District officials have proposed that they be given the right to involuntary transfer any and all employees who have experienced success in increasing student achievement to Differentiated Accountability (DA) SCHOOLS. At the same time, they also want to transfer those teachers who, according to them, are not performing at the highest levels to the district’s higher rated schools.

They also want to prevent such employees, merely because they are “successful,” from transferring from the DA school back to their “home” worksite or any other location for three years. Union negotiators are expending tremendous efforts to fight these draconian district attacks on employee right. The district’s desire to play musical chairs with employee assignments is purely punitive in nature.

“Fortunately, school board members seem to have started to recognize that Notter’s mismanagement of the district’s budget and infrastructure is hurting their chances of getting re-elected,” Ramson said. “As we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, it is sad to observe that Notter’s respect for works’ rights continually fails to keep up with Dr. King’s efforts to increase, not decrease, civil rights.”

Negotiators for each side have now met for twenty-five sessions. The entire contract is open for negotiations. What remains especially cruel is Notter’s use of the economic crisis as an excuse not to provide employees with even the smallest raise despite his blatant waste of millions of tax dollars. While he regularly threaten additional employee layoffs, district documents prove he has maintained the ranks of the school system’s administrators. In some cases, they have been increased.

According to district records, the school system now has 793 fewer teachers.  This is a difference of approximately $45.7 million in salaries. Half of these savings alone would help pay for a salary increase. Employees have been laid off and teachers forced to retire from DROP, which Ramson described as being paramount to termination without just cause. Yet, Notter and his district cronies continue to show no compassion for the anxiety they are imposing not only on all employees, but also on their families and the community as a whole.

Negotiators discussed Appendix J, which is a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Broward Teacher Corp Program. District negotiators wanted to delete it. They alleged it to be no longer valid. However, union negotiators asked for specific information, but district negotiators did not comply with this request. It is important to note that the union’s request for information regarding the number of teachers impacted was made at least three months ago and district negotiators have not been forthcoming with said info. As such, they agreed to withdraw their proposal to delete and discontinue this benefit, returning it to current language. Although fewer teachers will be eligible, union negotiators have saved the program for some employees.

ive Program. District negotiators have consistently rejected this proposal although it would save the school system money. This makes no sense. Proposal modifications made include deleting the $10,000 incentive. The new proposal also disallows teachers in DROP from participating.

Union leaders continue to pursue legal action against the district as result of dependent health insurance premiums increasing by up to 45 percent. Negotiators discussed premium payment discrepancies for some members who have dependent care. It was shared that some members have not bad deductions taken from their paychecks and some have.

Members are legitimately concerned that the district will deduct more than one premium from their paycheck leaving them in an economic bind. Employee Relations Specialist Dorothy Davis was assigned to research this issue by talking to the district’s Benefits Department to insure that this does not occur.

School board members continue to make important changes in the district’s leadership structure. In the last twelve months, they have accepted the “retirements” of Associate Superintendent of Human Resources Lynn Strong, Professional Standards and SIU Director Joe Melita, and Building and Facilities Director Michael Garretson. Despite his request, they refused to extend the contract of the district’s chief legal counsel, Edward Marko, beyond one year. They have also suspended and reassigned both directors, Lucille Green and Ruben Parker, of the district’s transportation department.

Union leaders urge the school board members to continue “cleaning house” and to not stop with these individuals. It would be in all members’ best interest if Notter’s bureaucrats were placed by executives who can better advise the school board and properly balance the district’s $2billion operations and $1.5 billion capital budgets without laying off employees. All remaining employees deserve a cost of living salary increase.

“Our district desperately needs a real superintendent who doesn’t just talk about ‘team’ work, but respects the rights of the ‘team’ members,” Ramson said.

In other minor negotiations areas, the two teams agreed to return to the original language in Article 9 that concerns election of dept chairs, after BTU negotiators withdrew the union’s proposal. Union negotiators also formally withdrew Appendix G, Retirement Committee, in its entirely whereas they had done so orally at a prior session.

The next negotiations session will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 28 at the BTU office in Tamarac.