Amherst teachers agree to contract givebacks if override passes
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
AMHERST - The teachers union voted Monday to turn three "professional days" into unpaid furloughs if voters approve a tax-cap override on March 23.
The vote would affect about 380 employees at the elementary, middle and high schools. It would reduce the budget impact of salary increases next year from about $1.3 million to about $930,000.
The average teacher would receive about $1,000 less than if the union had gone along with its negotiated contract, said president Tim Sheehan.
Comments
COLA
Other departments have taken 0% for cost of living. It seems teachers are always the last to hold out (ie: Sunderland), then they bring the children into it. The only reason teachers mention the children is to pull at the heart strings of the community when it comes to getting their $$$. The Town has a certain amount of money, make due, or come up with your own solution. If the teachers want to save their own, then take smaller raises and keep more teachers, if not I you can thank your co-workers when you loose your job.
Save What?
It's all about "our children" until it comes to their paycheck, then they're willing to throw their own under the school bus to save their jobs while increasing class size and reducing programs. Nobody wants to take a pay cut but doesn't it beat being unemployed? They get a net increase in pay which is more than most folks are seeing. "Will somebody please think of the children?"
Who is responsible for Amherst's children?
Teachers are offering to give up $1000.
You don't want to pay the $192 this will cost an average taxpayer.
You think the *teachers* are not willing to make a sacrifice for our children?
Pathetic
Please see full article, "Amherst teachers concede on wages." As written, "The 380 teachers...did not give back any of the salary increases their contract entitles them to. They will receive 3 percent cost-of-living increases AND about half of them will ALSO get 4 percent 'step' raises next year. Instead, they agreed to turn three 'professional days' a year into unpaid furloughs." And this small bit only if the override passes. Further in the article it says that this concession would save about $1000.00 per teacher. How can this be so? Teachers get paid $330.00 per day? That would be $1650.00 for a 40 hour week. Can't be right.
None of this represents any kind of 'sacrifice'. Give me a break. I'm with Stanley Gawle - 'It's a public relations gimmick designed to get taxpayers to vote for the override.' Pathetic.
teacher pay
Teachers get paid for about 180 days of work... Usually that amount is spread out over twelve months so they get paychecks every week or every other week or whatever -the way everyone else gets paid. This agreement either means that they will work for three days and not get paid for it at their per-diem rate, which is a higher rate than their week to week pay - which is "diluted" so to speak - or it means the school won't require them to take the training, thereby saving money. Either way, it means they will give up about $1000.00. That may not sound like much, but to a teacher it is.
Your logic is correct but
your outcome is not. Yes, teachers will "give up" $1000.00, but using the figures in the article, they would have received a $4,200.00 raise on average next year,(7% of $60,000) instead they will need to get by with only a $3,200 raise.
We will see
When the Override fails, will they give up some of their COLA and Step increases in order to keep EVERYONE working as teachers? Probably not.
Musketeers
The teachers in Amherst aren't obligated to fund our schools. We the taxpayers do that. The teachers are being very generous to offer to give back raises we already promised them.
Hmmm...
So if the Override passes they still get their raises and step increases, but give up three days of pay, meaning they probably will not bother to do any professional development.
When the Override fails, 95% of them will still get their raises and step increases AND those three paid "professional days," only there will be a few less teachers.
Whatever happened to the Three Musketeers philosophy?
Salary increases
It just says it would reduce the impact of salary increases. How much are the salary increases? Are these step increases or cost of living increases?