Important Bargaining Update

Keeping You Informed 11/9/05
Tonight, the HEA presented a bold new proposal that not only hit the target expectations from the board as it relates to future insurance increases, it exceeded them. Unfortunately, tonight's bargaining session ended prematurely with the Board's attorney declaring impasse after 30 minutes of reviewing our proposal. The board's quick rejection of a very comprehensive and complex proposal that was structured to meet their criteria indicates that tonight's results were preordained.

After insisting that members must make a "fair and reasonable contribution" to their health care benefits, our proposal went beyond that. We proposed that you pay for ALL of your insurance by taking the current cost of insurance and putting it on the salary schedule.

The board said we had to live within the 3-year financial projection. Our proposal did that! To hold the board to that projection, we proposed any extra dollars above the projection be shared with the teachers. At a previous bargaining session, the board's attorney said they would much rather put money on salary schedule and pay FICA and retirement instead of putting it towards insurance. HEA structured the proposal to reflect the board's demand.

The board wants the insurance cost contained by having a 5% cap on future increases. Our proposal included the 5% cap on future increases.

It is truly our belief that this creative and outside the box new proposal addressed all significant needs expressed by the board.

We are expecting the board to impose their October 26th Final Economic Proposal at their November 10 special board meeting at Washington School. This meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. We encourage all of you to attend this meeting.