THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. June 18,2009 UPDATED With Step Increases 10:05 P.M E.D.T. UPDATE, PREMIUM INFO, 12:50 A.M. E.D.T. June 19,2009 UPDATED JUNE 20,2009: The Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors confirmed this afternoon in an e-mail to WPCNR that the School District and the teachers union raise increases are 2% retroactive to 2009-2009, 2% for the coming year beginning July 1 (2009-2010) and 1-1/4% in year three, 2010-2011. The Superintendent did not clarify whether the third year raise of 2-1/2% reported to WPCNR by persons familiar with the Memorandum of  Understanding was contingent on economic conditions in year three of the contract, 20010-11.

Though the raise is being reported as 2%, the new contract if approved, actually means a 5.55% increase for each year of the new contract because of the  3.4% to 3.8% automatic salary increases that come with each year a teacher stays on the payrollup to twenty years.. Previously, based on a past Earning Schedule, WPCNR calculated the step raises at 2%. Checking the current earnings schedule each teacher from a second year teacher to a teacher in their 20th year receives a 3.4% to 3.8% raise automatically in addition to whatever scale increase is negotiated according to the current contract.

Roughly calculated by WPCNR this means the wage increases total top 16%.

 In addition to the retroactive wage increase payment negotiated at 2% for this year, when you include 2% in wage increases for 2009-10 and 1.25% (according to the Superintendent)  for 2010-11, the total wage package for three years creates a 16.25% Increase in salaries for teachers.

 The contract increases wages 5.25% over three years,across all levels over and above the automatic step raises for longevity which are 3.8% for each year of service, creating an overall raise over three years of 16.65%.(5.8%, 5.8% and 5.05%) if the present 3.4 to 3.8% longevity increase remains.

Settlement Appears to Catch Teachers Up to Premium Costs, with the Longevity Increases.

The Superintendent responding to a WPCNR request to correct any part of what was originally reported to us wrote in an e-mail response:

“There are other savings in insurance and the cost for the third year is 1-1/4 %.”

Connors did not deny that the teachers if they approve the contract would pay 8% and 9% of their health package in 2009-10 and 2010-11, respectively, and that Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield had been agreed to be dropped as a health care provider by the teachers. The 8% and 9% increase in the teacher share of the preimum is up over the 7% levels of the last contract.

Clouet off hook

The settlement gives incoming Superintendent of Schools Christopher Clouet a breather of 1-1/2 years before he has to negotiate the 2011-2012 teacher contract. Previously, Superintendent Connors told WPCNR only a two year contract was being considered, which would of required Clouet to begin negotiations in January. This gives Clouet a honeymoon to repair the acrimonious atmosphere between the Board of Education and the White Plains Teachers by the 18 month statemate over negotiations, which has ended with a 2% increase, should the teachers choose to accept the tentative settlement

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F.Bailey. June18, 2009 UPDATED 6:10 P.M. E.D.T.UPDATE 10:20 P.M. in Italics:  Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors confirmed Thursday afternoon the first two years of the tentative teachers’ contract call for 2% and 2%, respectively, but said the third year increase was 1.25%. WPCNR is checking back with the Superintendent to see if the 2-1/2% reported by a holder of the MOI  for the third year is contingent on approval.  Connors did not divulge further details except to say in brief written statement,

“There are other saving in insurance and the cost for the third year is 1-1/4 %.”

WPCNR has learned from a source familiar with the school district-teacher Memorandum of Understanding  circulated to members of the White Plains Teachers Association, that the leadership and the Board of Edcuation have agreed in principle to a three year contract through 2010-11.

The contract increases wages 5.25% over three years, over and above the automatic step raises for longevity which are currently 3.8%, creating an overall raise over three years of 16.65%, an average of 5.5%  a year, if the current longevity pay increase of 3.8% earned automatically every year for the first 20 years.

The tentative settlement also  increases the share of health premiums teachers must pay, and eliminates the most expensive health care benefits provider.

The contract, the source says,  holds the wage increases to 2% for 2008-2009, 2% in 2009-10 and 2-1/2% in 2010-11, the third year. In the third year, the 2-1/2% does not kick in until February 1 of 2011. The wage agreement is in line with the increase awarded the Civil Service Employees Association (500 employed in the School District) two weeks ago, which also agreed to drop the largest health care provider.

The District and the Teacher Union negotiating team also reached a compromise teacher payment of health benefits with the Teachers Union shifting the way teachers pay for their benefits from a fixed dollar amount to a fixed percentage of the total premium amount. Teachers will pay 8% of their health care premium in 2009-10, and in 2010-11 it will move to 9%. WPCNR has been informed there is no cap on the percentage of the dollar increase. The increase in dollar amount on the 8%, WPCNR has been advised, is less than $100 the first year.

The health care provider the teacher negotiating team agreed to drop was Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

The School District has not returned a request to confirm or elaborate on these basic “meetings of the minds.”