Bargaining Update May 14, 2010
As most of you are aware, in negotiations last year, CUSD,
in exchange for teachers moving from the Silver Plan to Red Plan, agreed to pay
for the Red Plan in full through 2012. As a result,
the District would keep all the reduced premium costs of the lesser plan.
Ironically, they squandered over $300,000 of this savings through delaying
approval of the agreement.
This year, the District expected and budgeted for a 15.5% increase in the cost
of the Red Plan. Even with that increase, the District still would have enjoyed
considerable savings from our shift to Red. They anticipated the increase,
planned to pay for it, and still were able to produce a
balanced budget!
But now CUSD has instead shifted 6% of that Red Plan increase back onto teachers
through its support of increased copays and deductibles rather than premiums.
In doing so, CUSD has taken an average of $550 out of each teacher's pocket and
reneged on its agreement to pay for the Red Plan.
And it gets worse. CUSD actually voted through the district-ruled benefit
association (The JPA) to pay even less of their obligation. CUSD actually
supported teachers bearing the burden of 9% ($725/year) of the increase.
Fortunately, the other districts that make up the JPA were unwilling to treat
their teachers with such deceit and unfairness. Nonetheless we, the teachers,
have been saddled with $330,000 being taken from our members and their families
in a year where the District agreed to provide for the Red Plan.
The district will respond that times are tough. That is true, and tougher still
on teachers. Please plan to attend the May 19th board meeting, and show our
insistence that the District follow its contractual
obligations and bargain in good faith.
Diane Deadmond
Jenn Flory
Kevin Moretti
James Williams