A CONTRACT FOR 2005-2006
NEGOTIATIONS CONCLUDED
BETWEEN NEA-SF AND SANTA FE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
After five months of negotiations, representatives for Santa Fe Public Schools and the Santa Fe local of the National Education Association have settled on a tentative agreement. Duane Shields, a teacher at Santa Fe High School, was spokesperson for the seven-member NEA-Santa Fe bargaining team. Sherry Coopwood headed the district's four-member team.
The talks extended past the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year because representatives from both sides felt extra time was necessary to work out the details of provisions addressing salaries, policies and procedures impacting how the school district operates. School employees (other than those moving ahead to the Tier 2 $40,000 minimum and who aren’t scheduled to received the state-mandated raises provided in the three-tier salary schedule) will see a 1.75% increase in their paychecks. The New Mexico state legislature funded a minimum 1.25% raise across the state.
Secretaries and educational aides will receive a 2% raise as a result of the recently-concluded negotiations. In order to be competitive with Santa Fe’s Living Wage ordinance, the agreement provides that $8.50 will be the minimum entry level on the salary schedule for full-time employees under contract who are represented by NEA-Santa Fe in the bargaining unit.
Because Santa Fe Public Schools applied the state-mandated 1.25% to employees’ paychecks at the start of the academic year, the .5% difference will be retroactive and reflected in paychecks by November 22nd. The settlement reflects a significant gain because of higher salaries for related service providers, such as nurses, counselors, social workers and other specialists whose salaries will now be comparable to that of certified teachers.
This category of employees must meet professional standards comparable to educators in the three-tier system. The fact that the state left these individuals out of the three-tier licensing and minimum salary structure caused considerable public notice and comment during the past legislative session.
The negotiations also addressed clarifications relative to hours and work load, transfers and reassignments, planning time and its use, procedures for employee discipline, salary differentials for extra duties, and how employees will participate in making recommendations about the job descriptions of department chairs in the middle and high schools.
Acoording to the district's business manager, John Wolf, the infusion of state funding into the district to bring Level II teachers up to state minimum standards has resulted in raises ranging from 1.75% to 13% in some instances. Many experienced certified teachers working in the district, however, won’t see such significant increases unless they move to the next tier of the licensure system.
NEA-Santa Fe team spokesperson Duane Shields noted: “We worked hard to bring up the employees at the bottom of the schedule such as cafeteria workers, secretaries and educational assistants. As much movement as we were able to accomplish, much more needs to be done during negotiations next spring.”
This is the first year for Sherry Coopwood as chair of the SFPS bargaining team. Coopwood is principal of Alameda Middle School who has worked for SFPS for 13 years. Duane Shields has served on the NEA-Santa Fe bargaining team since 1992 when collective bargaining became law in New Mexico.
Even though the collective bargaining law sunset clause was enacted in 1999 by then Govenor, Gary Johnson, NEA-Santa Fe and SFPS continued their relationship in the collective bargaining process. Said Shields: “The collective bargaining law is permanent now.” He says he has witnessed “significant progress over that time, although attraction and retention of quality employees with competitive salaries will always be at the forefront of our agenda in future negotiations."
BETWEEN NEA-SF AND SANTA FE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
After five months of negotiations, representatives for Santa Fe Public Schools and the Santa Fe local of the National Education Association have settled on a tentative agreement. Duane Shields, a teacher at Santa Fe High School, was spokesperson for the seven-member NEA-Santa Fe bargaining team. Sherry Coopwood headed the district's four-member team.
The talks extended past the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year because representatives from both sides felt extra time was necessary to work out the details of provisions addressing salaries, policies and procedures impacting how the school district operates. School employees (other than those moving ahead to the Tier 2 $40,000 minimum and who aren’t scheduled to received the state-mandated raises provided in the three-tier salary schedule) will see a 1.75% increase in their paychecks. The New Mexico state legislature funded a minimum 1.25% raise across the state.
Secretaries and educational aides will receive a 2% raise as a result of the recently-concluded negotiations. In order to be competitive with Santa Fe’s Living Wage ordinance, the agreement provides that $8.50 will be the minimum entry level on the salary schedule for full-time employees under contract who are represented by NEA-Santa Fe in the bargaining unit.
Because Santa Fe Public Schools applied the state-mandated 1.25% to employees’ paychecks at the start of the academic year, the .5% difference will be retroactive and reflected in paychecks by November 22nd. The settlement reflects a significant gain because of higher salaries for related service providers, such as nurses, counselors, social workers and other specialists whose salaries will now be comparable to that of certified teachers.
This category of employees must meet professional standards comparable to educators in the three-tier system. The fact that the state left these individuals out of the three-tier licensing and minimum salary structure caused considerable public notice and comment during the past legislative session.
The negotiations also addressed clarifications relative to hours and work load, transfers and reassignments, planning time and its use, procedures for employee discipline, salary differentials for extra duties, and how employees will participate in making recommendations about the job descriptions of department chairs in the middle and high schools.
Acoording to the district's business manager, John Wolf, the infusion of state funding into the district to bring Level II teachers up to state minimum standards has resulted in raises ranging from 1.75% to 13% in some instances. Many experienced certified teachers working in the district, however, won’t see such significant increases unless they move to the next tier of the licensure system.
NEA-Santa Fe team spokesperson Duane Shields noted: “We worked hard to bring up the employees at the bottom of the schedule such as cafeteria workers, secretaries and educational assistants. As much movement as we were able to accomplish, much more needs to be done during negotiations next spring.”
This is the first year for Sherry Coopwood as chair of the SFPS bargaining team. Coopwood is principal of Alameda Middle School who has worked for SFPS for 13 years. Duane Shields has served on the NEA-Santa Fe bargaining team since 1992 when collective bargaining became law in New Mexico.
Even though the collective bargaining law sunset clause was enacted in 1999 by then Govenor, Gary Johnson, NEA-Santa Fe and SFPS continued their relationship in the collective bargaining process. Said Shields: “The collective bargaining law is permanent now.” He says he has witnessed “significant progress over that time, although attraction and retention of quality employees with competitive salaries will always be at the forefront of our agenda in future negotiations."
posted by Editor | 9:21 AM
