Bargaining Notebook

After more than a year of bargaining and fact-finding, Gray New Gloucester Teacher Association ratified a contract.

The association agreed to a one class increase in teaching load for teachers at the high school provided the association has a defined role in determining what classes will be added and how those will be assigned. In addition, the association maintained its planning time in the contract, which the School Board tried to eliminate.

The association and the Board also established a fair process for involuntary transfers through implementation of language recommended by the Fact Finding panel.

The new contract calls for increases in pay averaging 4% annually with full retroactivity for every member, and an increased contribution from the District to teachers’ and their children’s health insurance.

The Megunticook Teachers Association, which includes the towns of Camden and Rockport, ratified a new contract. The Board attempted this Rule by local administration and contact their UD immediately.

to eliminate the association’s professional salary scale structure. The association managed to negotiate keeping the scale structure essentially the same. With this scale, teachers negotiated the top step (which is equal to 100% of the professional salary) at a greater rate. Every step below the professional salary receives a percentage of the top, professional salary based on years of experience. According to the contract, teachers receive the full professional salary negotiated once they reach step 20.

University of Southern Maine AFUM members (the MEA higher education affiliate) are awaiting a decision from an arbitrator panel that will rule on several grievances from separately. Medomak EA in MSAD/RSU 40 also

the group linked to both the elimination of five programs at USM and the retrenchment of 25 faculty members. AFUM maintained the University System did not follow the contract or the Board of Trustees procedures in several areas and didn’t have programmatic or bona fide financial reasons to retrench the faculty or eliminate the programs in the first place. The arbitrator’s ruling is due back by late fall or early winter.

Shortened steps and pay increases are two of the benefits of the new contract in MSAD 45. Washburn TA worked for more than two years to bargain the new contract which reduces the number of steps to reach the top of the scale from 30 to 17. That change helps maximize career earnings. In addition, the contract defines the responsibilities of “teacher of record.”

Another major issue for the association was the length of time staff spent at meetings. The new contract limits meeting time (end of the school day meetings - IEP, staff, committee meeting etc.) to 18 hours per school year and requires the district to pay employees $25 per hour for each hour exceeding that time. The contract also increases pay and steps for all staff, provides 30 consecutive minutes of planning time, and provides extra pay if a teacher is asked to switch classrooms.

The improved contract came after members in MSAD 45 worked to elect more education friendly school board members during the last election cycle and remove Board members whose intent was to freeze steps for several years on a scale that was

Chapter 33-Restraint Rule Complaint

Three members, a teacher, an ed tech and a bus aide in SAD 6 and Dayton are fighting separate disciplines from two separate superintendents who they believe have misinterpreted Chapter 33, the rules of restraint and seclusion. Chapter 33 does allow for some physical contact between teachers, techs, etc. under limited circumstances. All locals should be aware of possible misinterpretation of

Interest-Based Bargaining Helps Solve Difficult Contracts

After working three years without a contract, teachers in RSU 58 have reached a new threeyear contract through the use of interest-based bargaining or IBB. IBB is a collaborative process where both sides agree upon issues and together work to find a solution instead of each side presenting its own proposals and positions already one of the lowest in the state.

used IBB during its recent contract negotiations and came to an agreement on a contract that removed an unfair incentive pay structure.

In RSU 58, the new teacher contract includes a redesign of the salary scale and improved wages in order to attract new teachers to the district. Also in RSU 58 the ed techs have their first ever contract which includes health insurance for all ed techs, significant wage increases, and paid sick days and holidays. Previously, ed techs hadn’t received a raise in five years, only certain ed techs in the district received health insurance and none received sick days or holidays. The first ever contract for ed techs proved there was power in the collaborative union work.