Union says district's proposed contract benefits teachers hired after July 1, 2011
SARASOTA — Sarasota County teachers and classified employees won't get one gift going into the holidays: a settled contract.
Despite stated hopes on both sides to reach a contract agreement before the winter break, the Sarasota County School District and the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association failed to reach an agreement during bargaining Thursday over pay raises for most teachers hired before July 1, 2011. While the union proposed a 2 percent pay increase for those teachers, along with a normal step progression based on years of employment in the second year of the contract, the district proposed a single step progression and $600 bonus and a 1.5 percent one-time supplement for all teachers who had maxed out of their steps.
The union says that the district's proposal unfairly singles out teachers who have worked longer. But the district attributed its offer to a state law passed in 2011 that requires all newer teachers hired under a performance salary schedule who are rated as highly effective to receive a greater annual salary adjustment than the highest bump available to any employee of the same classification through another salary schedule.
It comes down to a need to comply with the law, said Superintendent Todd Bowden, something the district had not been clearly doing in previous years.
"We still have some technical differences in our interpretation of the law, which is what's keeping us apart," Bowden said. "I do not believe that their latest offer conforms to the law, although I do believe that it was their intent to put forth an offer that conforms with the law."
Union leaders argue that the district's proposal unfairly compensates performance pay teachers — basically all teachers hired after July 1, 2011 — over teachers hired before that date, dubbed "grandfathered" teachers. SC/TA Executive Director Barry Dubin added that the union offered to focus on a one-year contract, which has been done in years past, but the district sought a two-year contract.
"Really, the only issue now is the amount of the raise — that's where we're furthest apart," Dubin said. "For some reason, they picked on the grandfathered teachers. My goal is to try to make it as fair to as many of my people as possible."
Given the performance pay law's language, Bowden said that there is not much farther the district's proposal can budge for grandfathered teachers.
"We are committed to the process of collective bargaining, but there does reach a point at which the board has to make its best and final offer," Bowden said, referring to the School Board. "If we are not at that point now, we are incredibly close. I have put my full authority on the bargaining table."
The union has called on teachers and classified employees to picket the Jan. 9 School Board meeting, the first after the holiday break.
"If you want to tell the board you deserve a decent raise, this is your chance," Dubin wrote in an email to employees Thursday.
Bowden said he was not concerned by the prospect of picketing at the next board meeting.
"I'm not sure what about the offer would warrant a picket or a rally, but that is certainly their right," Bowden said. "I believe that we put forth a very fair offer, so the picket would not affect me in any way, but I can't speak for others."
The district has about 2,749 teachers, two-thirds of whom rank as highly effective and one-third as effective, a district spokesman said. The average starting salary for Sarasota County teachers is $42,000 as of this year. Grandfathered teachers at the district with between one and 29 years of experience make between $39,783 and $78,275, based on whether they have a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree.