Changes in the Red Plan:

Short Version: We agreed to go from Silver Plan to Red Plan in 2009, allowing the district to pocket the savings in exchange for the Red in full for three years.  CUSD has failed to budget for the impact and effects of changes in the 2011 Red Plan and appears unwilling to participate in negotiations.  This issue does not appear to be headed for a logical resolution, and we ask that members keep close records of medical spending and stay informed.

Long Version: In 2009 CUTA moved to a reduced medical plan, saving the district greatly.  In 2011, believing the district's claims of financial ruin, teachers endured even more severe increases in health costs while CUSD paid no mitigation in return.  In a December 2010 Demand to Bargain, CUTA first made reference to the possibility of changes in the Red Plan.  We then reminded CUSD that we were in the middle of a three-year agreement to provide teachers health benefits as offered in 2009/2010.  

We filed another Demand to Bargain dedicated solely to this issue in February 2011.  At that time, CUSD questioned our filing prior to the JPA having actually finalized any changes.  Our response was that we were anticipating significant impacts and effects and were hoping to get a jump on negotiations.  Nonetheless, at CUSD's request, we waited for the official changes to be announced on March 31st before meeting.  

While CUSD had stated that it was important to delay discussion as to be able to value the changes, at that first negotiation in May, the district was reluctant to quantify the financial ramifications.  CUTA suggested using either the approach the district had relied on last year or perhaps the calculation method our union had utilized.  (Last year when the Red Plan was downgraded, both sides valued the impact at $301k, and the district made that figure a component of their assumptions for 2010/2011.)  Even so, CUSD and CUTA failed to agree on the value of the changes.  CUSD expressed their belief that the impacts should take into account individual impacts rather that a lump sum as before.  To satisfy the district, CUTA presented the district with a concept that had each teacher tracking our additional costs under the modified, 2011, Red Plan.  

When we returned to the table on June 6th, CUSD brought no suggestions or counters and rejected our concept.  At the conclusion of that June session CUTA prepared an official proposal giving CUSD two options valuing and mitigating the impacts and effects.   Before meeting again, CUSD drafted and approved a budget for 2011/2012 that DID NOT INCLUDE ANY MITIGATION for the changes in the Red Plan.  When we returned to the table June 21st, CUSD again rejected our offer and had no proposal of their own.  (The District claims that regardless of their substantial beginning balance ($19,000,000) they cannot afford mitigation without the passing of a State budget.  Now that it appears that a State budget has been passed it remains to be seen if CUSD will move to honoring their obligations.) We cancelled of June 23rd meeting after CUSD let the teachers know that they would again be showing up empty handed.  

This week we have invited the district to join us in filing for impasse.  We are questioning the District's sincerity in participating in the process and are concerned that CUSD has no intention in honoring the three-year agreement from 2009 that saved the district over almost $2,000,000 while giving teachers the security of a reliable, albeit reduced, plan.

Unfortunately for teachers, next year may once again start with an ugly dispute overshadowing what should be a school year to look forward to.  Please keep informed, track your medical expenses, and contact your bargaining team with any questions.

CUTA and CUSD negotiating teams have not met since March.  The delay has given both sides the opportunity to analyze the serious financial burden that the changes to the Red Plan for benefits will have on teachers.  In addition to radical increases in out of pocket costs, the JPA also eliminated the Red Plan for eligible retirees, forcing each to the costly Blue option.  We anticipate returning to the table shortly after the close of the testing window and look for (perhaps foolishly) a proposal from CUSD that will fairly compensate unit members for the difference between the benefits plan contracted and the one now implemented.  In 2010, CUTA members absorbed a similar reduction in benefits and CUSD budgeted over $300,000 to mitigate the consequences.  CUTA willingly offered to relinquish our right to that substantial sum as part of our October agreement.  In doing so, additional furlough days for students were averted while teachers accepted the additional financial burden.  For decades CUTA has forgone larger. Perhaps fairer wage increases in exchange for a more reliable benefits package.  To have those benefits decimated now is unacceptable. Considering the healthy and robust state of the current district bottom line, we must hope CUSD sees clear to deliver benefits fairly as per contract.  We shall see.

In this break in bargaining, the issue of athletic funding has taken a prominent role amongst teachers and the community.  Our local boosters, parents, and volunteers have admirably and unnecessarily bore the brunt of athletic expenses in recent years.  In fleecing our community members, the district in turn has amassed large ending balances while failing to fund athletics appropriately.  Understandably, the boosters are fed up and have asked CUSD to support athletics to a greater extent.  In response, the board has instead relied on the tried and untrue strategy of pushing ever faulty projections onto the volunteers, refused to consider funding sports at a level proportionate to their bursting coffers, and threatened to eliminate athletics altogether.  True to form, CUSD has laid the blame for this absurdity on CUTA.  Coaches met recently and have taken the brave stance of standing strong behind our contract and educating the public as to how CUSD is again manipulating its community and wrongfully vilifying teachers and coaches in the process.  The Bargaining Team supports the efforts of coaches and would like to remind the membership that the district proposed our most recent three-year agreement without mention of coaching stipends and eagerly ratified the contract.  Teachers and the community are more than justified in expecting CUSD to deliver on its contractual promises.

ADDITION:  Since this update was first released to Rep Council on April 28th, CUSD has requested CUTA join with them in mutually opening the coach's stipend portion of the contract.  Please find attached CUTA Bargaining's refusal to do so.