Summary of Tentative Agreements & ratification plan
CONTRACT RATIFICATION PLANS
& SUMMARY OF THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS
VOTING PROCEDURES
FOR BOTH CONTRACT & BEU OFFICERS & MTA and NEA meeting delegates
All employees covered by BEU contracts may vote on ratification.
Only dues paying BEU members can vote for BEU officers.
ON-SITE VOTING
On-site voting will be held by secret ballot on March 27 in the BHS auditorium from 3:00 to 4:00 pm (location to be confirmed).
ABSENTEE VOTING (REQUIREMENTS ARE STRICT
1) Get ballots from your Building Rep from March 14 through 22. All members get the same officer ballot; ratification ballots are unique for each bargaining unit (A, B, Para)
2) Early voting: return ballots to Building Reps no later than the end of the school day on Wednesday, March 22.
3) Ballots for each vote (ratification and officers/delegates) must be placed in a separate sealed envelope with your name on the outside of the envelope and the word “Ratification” or “Officers.”
4) All absentee ballots will be mixed with on-site ballots before counting.
A list of the Reps may be found at: brookline.massteacher.org Responsibility lies with the BEU member to ensure that the Rep has received the envelope(s).
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
FOR CONTRACT RATIFICATION
AND ELECTION OF BEU OFFICERS & DELEGATES
MONDAY, MARCH 27, BHS AUDITORIUM (location to be confirmed)
AGENDA
3:15 Presentation of the Tentative Agreement
3:30 Questions and Answers
3:45 Discussion/debate
4:00 Voting
5:00 (at latest) Announcement of Ratification results
No later than Tuesday, March 28: announcement of BEU offices results.
SUMMARY OF THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS[*]
- All money items are retroactive. (Paraprofessionals must be employed at time of ratification.)
- All of the new amounts build on the base. They are not one time bonuses.
- When? As soon after ratification as they can do it accurately.
- They are all for the four years spanning 2015-2019.
Unit A Agreement Highlights
Salary Increases:
- 2015-2016: $785 added to all cells (all steps in all columns)
- 2016-2017: $1,600 added to all cells
- 2017-2018: 2% added to all cells
- Sept 2018: 1% added to all cells
- Jan 2019: 2% added to all cells
- Change language to recognize 15 minutes that had been added for pre-school and pre-K
- Increase elementary prep time to guaranteed 40 minutes per day
- Workload Oversight Committee. Addressing our workload was a priority in these negotiations and this committee will be able to bargain these issues and provide a vehicle for continued organizing in our schools.
- Reopeners for Stipends and work day
- Additional PD day – paid at per-diem rate after first year
- Lay-off language to conform to new regulations, maximizing the role of seniority
Improvement in Evaluation Language:
- Ensure Evaluation system is not used for disciplinary matters
- Ensure feedback ties to rubrics and is useful
- Ensure educators know at the beginning of an observation that it will be part of the evaluation process
- Prevent student performance from being used in goal setting or performance ratings
- You cannot be expected to work beyond our contractual limits in order to receive a proficient rating in Standard IV: Professional Culture.
- Exemplary ratings not allowed until further negotiations
- Training materials to be reviewed by BEU
- Destroy supporting evaluation documents after 4 years
- Limit needed evidence
- One year added to evaluation cycle if evaluator does not complete evaluation in a timely manner
- Only allowed to be dropped in a rating one level at a time (i.e. you can’t be rating unsatisfactory if you were previously rated proficient).
Unit B Agreement Highlights
Salary Increases:
2015-2016: $4/day added to all cells (all steps in all columns)
- 2016-2017: 2% added to all cells
- 2017-2018: 2% added to all steps
- Sept 2018: 1% added to all cells
- Jan 2019: 2% added to all cells
- Reopener for Stipends
- Increased paid work year for Vice Principals and Curriculum Coordinators to 195 days by 2018-2019 school year
- Lay-off language to conform to new regulations, maximizing the role of seniority.
Paraprofessional Unit Agreement Highlights
Salary Increases:
- 2015-2016: $0.40 per hour added to all cells (all steps in all columns)
- 2016-2017: 2% added to all cells
- 2017-2018: 2% added to all cells
- Sept 2018: 1% added to all cells
- Jan 2019: 2% added to all cells
Further changes to Schedule 2 (aides):
- Sept 2016: remove step 1 (all on step 1 move to step 2, which is 5% more)
- Sept 2017: add new step 9 at 2% more than step 8
- Sept 2017: create new “Special Programs Differential” with added $1.00 per hour
- Sept 2018: add new step 10 at 2% more than step 9
- Aug 2019: remove non-degree lane, move all to BA lane (4-5% increase)
- Increase tuition reimbursement from $360 to $500 for new employees, and from $600 to $750 for those who have worked at least 3 years
- Provide 7 days’ notice when changing work schedule (currently no notice period).
- Add guidance for aides who may be given competing directives from multiple teachers
- Added time recording system
- Job Security Joint Labor Management Committee and Contract Reopener to address:
— lay-off language
— changes in scheduling
— clarification of probationary period
Additional note:
The Brookline School Committee has reported that the District will increase Paraprofessionals’ hours by 10% with the corresponding increase in pay (not what we consider a raise). The School Committee would not negotiate this plan with us. However, we will work with the administration to ensure that these hours are scheduled in a way that least affects other aspects of your life. After this year, we will work to keep the hours and secure fair scheduling through the Job Security Joint Labor-Management Committee (JLMC). If need be, we will also draw on the support of community allies.
[*] The proposed agreement, if ratified, will modify our contract that requires payment of an agency service fee as a condition of employment. All employees in the bargaining unit may attend and vote at this meeting. All employees within the bargaining unit covered by the proposed agreement are eligible to vote. The current amount (FY17) of the agency service fee for Units A and B is $640.50 and for the Para Unit is $189.63. The most recent financial reports for the Brookline Educators Union are available for inspection by contacting Treasurer David Weinstein c/o the BEU 115 Greenough Street, Brookline, MA 02445
NEW DATE– MARCH 15 Boston Globe Article
The Boston Globe recognizes the importance of Brookline’s education justice forum. Read article and find RSVP link here
Powerful testimony of parents, teachers, and paras
Boston Globe recognizes educator and parent frustration with School Committee
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/06/02/brookline-parents-teachers-protest-stalled-contract-talks/TtlyXF47x8rXoHOuF326wI/story.html