Teachers voted unanimously to approve a 53-page tentative
agreement between the San Benito High School Teacher’s Association
and the San Benito High School District Friday, leaving one final
vote before the contract is made official.
Hollister – Teachers voted unanimously to approve a 53-page tentative agreement between the San Benito High School Teacher’s Association and the San Benito High School District Friday, leaving one final vote before the contract is made official.
Should members of the SBHS Board of Trustees vote to ratify the contract at their board meeting Wednesday night, SBHS will have a working labor contract for the first time in nearly three years.
“If it gets approved, I think teachers can breathe a collective sigh of relief, and say ‘Finally, my voice has been heard,'” said Mitch Huerta, lead negotiator for the SBHSTA. “For a lot of teachers money is important, but some things are just as important, or more – like being respected and feeling welcomed and valued at the workplace.”
Out of 128 teachers voting, each one voted to approve the proposal. Roughly 10 teachers did not vote, according to SBHSTA President Chuck Schallhorn, mostly because they were out sick or on some form of leave.
“I’ve been here 11 years,” Huerta said, “and I don’t remember there ever being a unanimous vote.”
Teachers voted both Thursday and Friday to allow enough time for all interested staff to cast their vote. Prior to the vote, union officials were on hand to answer questions about contract specifics.
“Secondary teachers don’t just follow along, they’re thinkers, they want to educate themselves about the situation,” said SBHS Superintendent Dr. Jean Burns-Slater. “And I love that. I’m glad they had an opportunity to ask questions… I appreciate all the hard work that went into informing everyone about the vote.”
Considering how many teachers chose to vote on the contract, many were surprised that all 128 came out in support of the contract.
“When you’re negotiating for 142 teachers, you have 142 points of view to consider, and I think it’s common that some of those views would not be represented in the contract,” Huerta said. “So I was surprised with the vote, but very pleased.”
An initial agreement between the SBHSTA and the District regarding salary and health care was reached in early December, after three years of unsuccessful bargaining on both sides. After those two major sources of contention were hammered out, negotiations proceeded fairly quickly over the next few weeks as negotiators sought to revise language issues in the agreement. A tentative, 53-page contract agreement was decided upon Jan. 9.
Some of the language in question, according to union representatives, had not been reviewed in more than 20 years. Issues the recent negotiations sought to clarify included safety conditions, grievance procedures and leaves.
“I would really like to thank the District and District negotiators for their willingness to address concerns regarding language,” Huerta said. “Because money will come and go, but language always stays.”
According to the terms of the District’s proposal, tentatively agreed upon by teachers in December, teachers who have been employed since 2004 will receive a salary increase of 2.14 percent for their work dating back to July 1, 2004. On top of that, teachers will receive a 4 percent raise for their work dating back to July 1, 2005. Some teachers, then, are receiving a raise of 6.4 percent – their first raise since the old contract expired three years ago.
In addition, teachers who choose to coach a sports team after class or advise a club will see a 4 percent increase in the salary they receive for that extra duty, also retroactive to July 1, 2005. Teachers who choose to serve as a Class Adviser will receive an additional stipend of $1,292 a year – each class has two advisers who coordinate the student’s fundraising efforts and activities. Those teachers who choose to give up their preparatory period and teach six classes each week will be given a stipend of $6,750 a year, up from $5,700.
A fund totaling $300,000, previously set aside to finance health benefits, will be used to ensure each teacher receives $12,840 in health coverage each year in addition to their salaries. While all teachers are required to participate in a plan through the Self-Insured Schools of California, they do not have to choose the most expensive one. If a teacher wants a less comprehensive plan, they will receive the difference between the plan and $12,840 in cash. Should $300,000 prove insufficient to cover premium increases until 2007, the District will provide for the rest, according to the proposal.
The salary and benefit changes combined will cost the District approximately $3 million over a period of three years.
