WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 20, 2009: The Board of Education tonight voted unanimously to approve a new three year contract with the teachers union, granting across-the-salary-schedule 2% (retroactive to the current 2008-2009 year), 2% in 2009-2010, and 2-1/2% on February 1,2011.

The Board Approves Settlement: Moment of Truth.

The Superintendent and the Board of Education made no public comment on the terms of the contract in the public meeting. Donna McLaughlin, President of the Board of Education told WPCNR after the meeting, “I’m thrilled we have a settlement and we can move forward, especially with the new Superintendent of Schools (Dr. Christpher Clouet) coming in.”

Kerry Broderick, head of the White Plains Teachers Association, speaking on different matter Monday night, in attendance, also did not make any public statement on the settlement agreed to privately Friday  June 12, and first reported by WPCNR Monday, June14.

Kerry Broderick of the White Plains Teachers Association told WPCNR that the Board of Education had not attempted to negotiate any scaling back of  the White Plains Salary Schedule for new teacher hirings during the 18-month negotiation.

Asked if the Board of Education had attempted downward adjustments to future new hires during the course of the negotiations, McLaughlin confirmed they had not, “Not this time.”

 Asked why, McLaughlin said “This was a rollover. It was not a major negotiation.” She said the next major negotiation  would take place in 2011. Asked if revision of the salary schedule for new hires would be part of that, Ms. McLaughlin declined to commit to exploring that as being on the table.

Asked why the school board suddenly settled after long months if any legal action was threatened by the White Plains Teachers Association based on Peter Bassano e-mails to teachers had anything to do with the district change of heart, McLaughlin denied there was any threat of litigation by the teachers that threatened suing the district for bargaining in bad faith.

Peter Bassano, the newly re-elected member of the school interviewed after the meeting by WPCNR asked why the Board of Education did not explain the settlement to the public, said, “We didn’t want to rub their nose in it.”

Asked what made the 17% increase in wages over three years, the first year retroactive a good deal for the district Bassano said “We got them to pay 8% and 9% of health benefits in the second and third year, and agree to a $5 to $20 increase in the Co-Pay which creates a net savings. We also got them to eliminate the most expensive health care provider, Blue Cross-Blue Shield.”

Bassano said that a third of the teachers were at the maximum step level any way so they only received 2%, 2% and 2.5% and that saved the district money.  He also said retirements every year would mean new lower paid teachers would be hired to replace them, creating a savings – but he gave no figures, saying WPCNR would have to check with Assistant Superintendent of Business, Fred Seiler on those savings.

WPCNR expressed skepticism, asking  what with the compounding of  the salary schedule every year (based on higher salaries breeding high total dollar amounts), how can a $100 premium increase in pay the family level, possibly make up for increases totaling 5.5%, 5.5% and 6%?

Fred Seiler, the Assistant Superintendent for Business told WPCNR last October said the total premium for an individual with “SWSCHP” as it is known, this year (08-09)is $7,293, of which a teacher pays $625  annually (8.6%) . For a two-person family, the premium is $15,388, the teacher share they pay is $1,075 annually (7%). The premium for a family for more than two persons  is $16,336, of which a teacher on the family plan pays $1,220 (7% of the cost).

Today, Ms Broderick said that a Family Plan of over two persons costs the district using Health Net, the premier carrier now left after the contract approval, pays $18,000.

The teacher now having such a plan pays $1,260 a year of that $18,000, and that would go up $180 beginning July 1 to $1,440. In July, 2010, that same teach with a family of over two persons would pay 9% of that and if the cost goes up 10% to $19,800 as predicted they would pay $342 more.

The average increase in salary for the teacher with one year of service going  into 2008-2009 will receive $1,041 retroactively thanks to the 2% settlement on the wages in addition to the $1,831 they already received starting their second year with a B.A. This year will make $2,763 more in salary the first year of the three year contract. Teachers along the 20 year salary schedule of course receive more.It is unclear how a maximum increase inpremium the teacher pays at the family of more than two level, “nets” a saving for the district.

Mr. Bassano said the district would save a vast amount of money by the teachers eliminating the Blue Cross/Blue Shield health care choice but did not say how much. He advised WPCNR to get the numbers from Mr. Seiler.

Broderick told WPCNR Monday evening health care providers she has been told are keeping their health care insurance premium increases  this coming year and next, lower than the10% predictions in health care costs made nationally, in the 4% range because, she said they do not want to give the Obama Administration ammunition to use as rationale for a national health care plan initiatives.

WPCNR asked Mr. Bassano why the district did not attempt step increase adjustments beginning with new highers. Bassano said the state United Federation of Teachers representative who was with Ms.Broderick during negotiations would not have allowed that. Bassano said the step levels are sacrosanct.