WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. October 29, 2008 UPDATED October 30, 2008: Peter Bassano, a member of the White Plains Board of Education, clarified to WPCNR the present of state of talks on a new contract between the School District and the White Plains Teachers Union, who have been  working without a contract since June 30.

Mr. Bassano said that the two sides were, based on Monday afternoon discussions and prior that those negotiaons had not been “fruitful,” and the district and the teachers were “far apart” on the issues of salary and benefits, though progress had been made on teacher contributions for benefits being based on a percentage of salary rather than a straight cash contribution.  Salary is the issue.

White Plains Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors confirmed to WPCNR Thursday afternoon that both the Teachers Union and the School District have jointly declared an impasse in contract negotiations. Connors said the first step would be mediation by a mediator appointed by the New York State Employer Relations Board, a state government department, whose mediation services are available at no cost to the district.

 Connors did not indicate how long he thought mediation would take, but did say that the if mediation did not reach an agreement, the next step would be fact-finding, then arbitration.

Connors said teachers this year would receive no salary increases except for the contractual increases based on years of service and progressions achieved in their degrees earned.  He said service increasew would amount to about 1.5%, and if a person earned both a service increase and an increase based on academic progress it would amount to 2%. He said teachers who had reached the maximum years of service would not receive the 1.5% increase.

Bassano said that the next step would be mediation, then a process called fact-finding, followed by bringing in a mediator. He said that mediation was not binding. Arbitration was the next step after that. He said neither fact-finding, mediation, or arbitration was binding.

“Money is the issue, “ Bassano said, “We are very far apart on that. We don’t see any benefit in continuing these meetings.”

Bassano said that Governor Patterson’s recent announcements of a $47 Billion deficit over the next four years and a current $1.5 Billion deficit in the current state budget, raised the possibility that the District’s state aid in the budget for the current school year would be cut, as well as cut in 2009-2010.

The state aid in the current year is $15,306,590, a 9.35% increase over 2007-2008.  

The teachers continue to be paid at the salaries in effect last year with all step levels in effect, Bassano said, according to the Triborough Law.

Bassano said he did not think the public would be accepting of large teacher raises in the present economic climate.

Two years ago, teachers signed a one year salary agreement which expired June 30. In that contract teachers received  a 3% raise across all levels and steps, and conceded that they would pay a cash amount for certain coverages. However, the increases in Co-Pays and other fees in the health plans have cut substantially into the raises received at that time, according to Teachers Union President Kerry Broderick.

A total of $1.4 Million of  the $2.4 Million state aid increase was paid for in part by  the reduction in the STAR EXEMPTION statewide which forced White Plains taxpayers to kick back an additional $1.4 Million in taxes.

The present White Plains School Budget is $184.4 Million and if salaries stayed the same and the budget increased only 7%, essentially the average increase over the last five years, the budget will hit $197 Million in 2009-2010. A 5% raise in teacher pay – the rate of inflation in the New York metropolitan area dating back to September 2007 – would mostly likely increase the budget to  the $203 Million level.  Projecting forward, if salaries remain at current levels, and the district budget increases  10%  a year (assuming salary increases and increased expenses), in five years the school budget will reach $300 Million. Should year to year expenses be held to 5% increases a year, the budget will be $250 Million. Increases would most like have to be paid for by  substantially increased property taxes due to the slow down in real estate values in White Plains. The  

The School Aid Increase in White Plains  this year was paid for directly in part by White Plains taxpayers. About $1 Million of the $2.4 Million in  much-ballyhooed state aid came out of property tax increases that occurred when the STAR EXEMPTION was cut 10%, lowering the amount you could deduct from your home assessed value. WPCNR was the only media to report this clandestine move by the legislature.

Benefits Issue Revisited.

As reported last month, the benefits issue has hurt teacher salaries in the past, and we reprint that discussion:

The sticking point, Ms. Broderick said were the increases in premiums paid the district health care provider the teachers have had to pay out of their salaries the last year and increases in the co-pays. She said the teachers are seeking to make up those costs.

The agreement on a two-year contract insulates any new Superintendent of Schools hired by the district from negotiating with the union in his or her first year of their contract.

Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business for the district confirmed that premiums with the Statewide Schools Cooperative Health Plan, the consortium the district has contracted with for health benefits have gone up 17% since July 2007. He said, Co-Pays have doubled from $10 to $20 for doctors visits.

Teacher Share of Health Premium, 7%.

Seiler said the total premium for an individual with “SWSCHP” as it is known, this year is $7,293, of which a teacher pays $625  annually (8.6%) . For a two-person family, the premium is $15,388, the teacher share they pay is $1,075 annually (7%). The premium for a family Two Person, is $16,336, of which a teacher on the family plan pays $1,220 (7% of the cost).

Seiler told WPCNR, “That changed in July, 2007, a year and a half ago. What that meant on an individual basis  It went $15 to $20 a visit for a individual visit. The deductible stayed the same. It’s the CoPay for either your primary physician or your medical prescriptions, but also at the same time, was introduced a plan with MEDCO there, where people could buy 90 days supply of their regular medication at a much lower than what they were paying before. For some employees they actually were saving money.”

Seiler said he was a member of the SWSCP Board (with the state). He said he had heard nothing criticizing the increases that took place in mid-2007.

 Seiler recalled that when the SWSCHP increases took place, “Everyone understood it was an increase in the premium and an adjustment in the CoPay(s), you need a little bit of both to make it (the health plan) reasonable.”

A year and a half ago it went up 9% plus a change in the CoPay. This year, there were no change in benefits, coPays, or anything, then the overall increase was 8- 8-1/2% (in the premium). It was the first time in 12 years it was less than double digits.  Not as low as we’d like it to be, but that’s true of every health plan.”

The Last Contract: 3% Across Board

In the last contract, benefits were paid for by teachers for the first time. Assistant Superintendent of Schools Fred Seiler, speaking to WPCNR in June 2007, explained it this way:

In return for a one year 3% hike in wages across all salary levels, White Plains teachers agreed to pay about $200 more as their share of health insurance in 2007-2008. According to Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler,  the 3% wage increase approved by the White Plains Board of Education Monday evening, would cost the school district $1.8 Million in the next budget year beginning July 1. The teachers, he said, agreed to pay more of their share of their health insurance provided by the district which would have the teachers paying $150,000 more a year.

Seiler reports that Health insurance for a single employee would increase from $450 to  $635 a year; for two person plans, from $800 to $1,075; and, for family coverage the portion teachers pay would rise from $900 to $1,220.In return for a one year 3% hike in wages across all salary levels, White Plains teachers agreed to pay about $200 more as their share of health insurance in 2007-2008. According to Assistant Superintendent for Business Fred Seiler,  the 3% wage increase approved by the White Plains Board of Education Monday evening, would cost the school district $1.8 Million in the next budget year beginning July 1. The teachers, he said, agreed to pay more of their share of their health insurance provided by the district which would have the teachers paying $150,000 more a year.