Details of the band-aid agreement are to be explained publicly on Wednesday afternoon in the library of Culver High School. Hoped-for ratification of the agreement is scheduled for the following afternoon on each campus throughout the School District.
Before optimism bursts into outright declarations of success, observers cautioned that the warring parties have been this close before, and the Union rank and file said no. What makes the remaining hours until ratification dicey is that only a smattering of members of the Teachers Union typically participate in contract voting. Whether it is lethargy or another complaint, the condition makes speculation about the outcome a high risk.
Steadily deteriorating relations between angry members of the Teachers Union and the School District dropped to their frostiest level last Tuesday night when one of the largest and maddest crowds of recent years came out to vent its fury at a School Board meeting where members behaved with rlative docility, which actually was what the script called for that night. Forty-seven speakers came to the podium, and forty-six of them spanked the School Board for a bucket full of sins, but mainly for not finding a way to settle with teachers while proposing much larger raises for administrators.
Article 32: Wages
* A 1% salary increase retroactive to Sept. 1, 2004.
* A 4% salary increase retroactive to Sept. 1, 2005.
* Additional increases for longevity retroactive to Sept. 1, 2005 (Class IV: $500/year; Class V: $500/year).
* Additional extra duty pay for teachers in grades 4 and 5 for parent conferences that extend beyond the regular work day
* An increase to $2,000 per year for teachers who have earned a Doctorate degree.
* $3,000 per year for teachers who receive National Board Certification
* Stipends of $2,835 for each of the Boys’ and Girls’ Head Coaches of the Culver City High School lacrosse teams.
Article 31: Health and Welfare Benefits
* Maintenance of existing health benefits.
* Retired employees who begin employment on or after July 1, 2006, will receive retiree benefits as follows:
* Age: 55-65
* Current contribution for single employee.
* Unit members will qualify after serving for fifteen consecutive years in the District.
* Unit members may apply the current contribution for single employee coverage, which may include one dependent coverage, after serving for twenty consecutive years in Culver City.
* After Age 65
* Maintain existing retiree reimbursement .
Article 3: Duration
* This agreement shall extend until June 20, 2008. The parties may reopen negotiations for the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 on Article 31: Health and Welfare, and Article 32: Wages, and two articles selected by each party.
Article 13: Bereavement
· The District may request reasonable verification for number of days taken.
Article 19: Jury Duty Leave
* Paid leave of three days for any teacher serving jury duty in a state, County or Municipal Court.
Article 27: Elementary Preparation Time
* MOA signed Feb. 6, 2006/Effective through June 30, 2006.
Article 35: Peer Assistance and Peer Review
* All unit members teaching in their first and second year in the District who are eligible for BTSA shall be required to participate in the BTSA program for two years.
