FEA Bargaining Update
2015-2016 Contract
Back to the Table
With our current contract expiring at the end of August, our bargaining team will begin meeting with Bob, Mark and Lonna in the next few weeks. We have met twice formally as a bargaining team this summer planning for our next set of negotiations. We do not expect to fully begin to bargain until after student count, but it is our desire to let members know what we hear, when we hear it. This newsletter will serve as one method of communication between the bargaining team and our members. We bargain on your behalf, so if you have questions, please email them to us. At the bottom of the flyer you will notice an "About Us" section that includes all the members of the bargaining team. Feel free to contact any of us if you ever have questions about negotiations. As always, we appreciate your support.
Your Bargaining Team
2015-2016 Calendar
We have met with Bob and Mark regarding the 2015-2016 calendar. We know our first day will be September 8th, 2015 and we will be finishing up on Friday, June 10th, 2016. The majority of the calendar will not change, but we have negotiated one less teacher day as we will not have to report on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Official Calendar
The calendar presented some unique challenges this year. To balance semesters, and change MLK to a day where no one reports we settled on a change to our records day for first semester. In order to limit how long we went in June we settled on our first semester records day as a half day with students and half day records day. We understand this isn't ideal as we are preparing for second semester, but it beats going longer into June. Also by doing this, we were able to move from 180 teacher days to 179 teacher days for this contract.
Watching Other Schools Settle
We spent time this summer analyzing settlements for districts in our area. We have noticed a trend of school districts decreasing their salary schedules to make it easier for districts to pay out steps. We analyzed four districts around us and found they have conceded over $150,000 in lifetime earnings by doing this. We will continue to research all avenues forward, but at this time, we have not found a district blueprint we feel comfortable following. We are always open to member's ideas, so feel free to get in touch.
Krista Abbott
Our local union will be changing UniServ directors as of August 24th. Our Uniserv director is our liason to the MEA and has been a great resource for our bargaining team. Our UniServ director sets us up with economists, district finance information, and at times joins us at the bargaining table. As of August 24th, we will be receiving the help of Krista Abbott who has a background in labor law and negotiations. Among other districts, she has helped Spring Lake and Grand Haven settle their contracts in the last few years. She is phenomenal and we are happy to welcome her as our new UniServ director.
Legislative Updates
(1) Governor Synder has signed into law next year's annual budget. Fruitport schools will be receiving an additional $140 per pupil in our foundation allowance. We will keep a close eye on how this money will be allocated as we work towards a negotiation settlement.
(2) Legislation on teacher evaluations continues to be a moving target. Lynn and Derek with input from our executive board will be meeting with Bob and Allison in August to continue to work to improve our model. You can expect more announcements at our back to school general membership meeting.
Your Bargaining Team
Lynn Vanderberg - Chief Negotiator (Happily Retired)
Zack Stucky - Salary Chair (High School)
Lisa Dirkse - Bargaining Team Member (Edgewood)
Jacquelyn Ball - Bargaining Team Member (Middle School)
Kris Olson - Bargaining Team Member (Middle School)
Derek Woycehoski - FEA President (High School)