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School district, teachers union at impasse over budget
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Stalled negotiations between the cash-strapped Clark County School District and its teachers union might put 800 jobs at risk.
The two sides have reached an impasse in bargaining unlikely to be resolved by Aug. 29, the first day of school, the district announced Thursday. The stalemate isn't expected to impede the launch of the new year, but it makes clear that the union is unwilling to grant the monetary concessions sought by the district, which needs to close a $56 million hole in its 2011-12 budget.
"Teachers will still teach," said Ruben Murillo, president of Clark County Educators Association, which bargains for district teachers.
Their jobs are safe -- for now. A district spokesman said no action will be taken until the teachers' contract is resolved. That could take anywhere from one month to four, Murillo said.
Under state law, declaring impasse puts the dispute in the hands of a judge who will arbitrate the contract terms. An impasse means that negotiations have failed after four meetings.
The district, hit hard by declining local revenues such as property taxes, maintains that it needs $56 million in concessions from employee groups to balance its budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. About $37 million of those concessions would have to come from educators, Murillo said. If teachers don't accept these sacrifices, the district has warned that 800 layoffs might be necessary to make up the difference.
"We are very disappointed CCSD is seeking to balance their budget at the expense of those who spend their lives educating the children of Nevada," Murillo said. He also said teachers are telling him to "hold the line."
On July 1, the district cut 600 administrator and support staff positions.
The teachers union has said it will not agree to the district's following positions: a salary freeze for step-ups in pay based on experience and education of teachers, making workers contribute half of the increase in payments to the Public Employees Retirement System, and replacing the Teachers Health Trust and Retiree Health Trust (not-for-profit and teacher-governed) with a for-profit carrier.
The district's 18,000 teachers make up the district's largest employee group. The district also employs 11,000 support workers, 1,000 administrators and 160 police officers, all of which also have unions.
"These others should not be forgotten, said district spokesman David Roddy, who added that the administrators union has reached an agreement with the district. Support staff and police unions are still negotiating.
Impasse and arbitration are imminent for support staff negotiations too, said John Carr, president and chief negotiator for the Education Support Employees Association. The union is holding its third meeting with the district today .
Support staff are asking for five things, and the district has said no to each, Carr said. That's just the beginning. Carr started hearing from union members Tuesday that their paychecks were smaller than usual, sometimes by as much as 43 cents an hour. If true, the deductions were made before contract negotiations were concluded, he said.
Carr is meeting with district officials today to get an explanation of what exactly the new deductions may be.
"I feel like I was betrayed," said Carr, who contended the district has said in negotiations that it wants to reduce support staff salaries. "The district's saying, 'We agree to disagree, but we're going to do it anyway.' "
The district seems to have foreseen the stalled negotiations, hiring $360-an-hour labor attorney Mark Ricciardi on July 28 in case of arbitration.
There is little concern over the police contract, said Phil Gervasi, president of the Police Officers' Association of Clark County School District. Nothing financial is being discussed in their negotiations. Just language changes. "We realize that the district is in financial straits," he said.
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Don't give an inch. The citizens of this county must understand there will/must be a price if you want "free" public education. If you get 800 layoffs and rooms are crowded, or maybe your precious band teacher gets laid off, then you now learned that the "price" of "free" has a cost. And with regards to the stupid idea of moving us to a "for profit" insurance provider, why should we pay for crappy advertising with ducks and lizards?(I mean geckos) More than 90% goes to health care the way it is now. I don't want to see some overpaid corporate shill get rich on my dime.
Put all the teachers on the same healthcare plan as Harry Reid and the rest of the members of Congress. While they are at it, put all the teachers on the same retirement plan as members of Congress, there is plenty of money in the Congressional Retirement fund and the health care is first rate with no waiting.
Independent: Not getting what you feel you're entitled to; I guess you know how teachers feel.
Shannon.K wrote on August 12, 2011 01:43 PM:
CCSD does NOT need to get rid of the Teachers Health Trust.
Whoooooa, wait a sec here Shannon! Seems to me that I recall the teachers unions and associations flooding the airwaves at election time with commercials about what a saint Harry Reid is. Well, since he just voted in Obama Care, you dont need your own trust! Harry and Barak Husseina re there to take care of you. You dont like change we can believe in or what hypocrite?
CCSD does NOT need to get rid of the Teachers Health Trust. It provided good coverage, much better than an HMO would, particularly United Health Services. That's all we need to do...replace a not-for-profit health insurance with a for-profit carrier. Yeah, that makes a load of sense. Having dealt with numerous private insurance carriers and the Health Trust, the Health Trust provides much better service, pays it's bills on time, and actually is helpful when you call...not something that I can say for the private carriers who do everything in their power to turn down claims and make you fight to get your bills paid...hoping that you will just give up if they jack you around enough.
Unfortunately, it seems no one can tell me how much it costs to educate 300,000 kids, so I guess we'll just have to make due with what we've got. Does this mean there will be no more complaining about the amount of money that is spent on education?
PLEASE- CCSD GET RID OF TEACHERS HEALTH TRUST !! As a former teacher of CCSD who was RIFD last year and the spouse of a CCSD teacher, we both agree the Health Trust is terrible.
The Health Trust provides coverage only in the state of Nevada, unless it is for urgent care or emergency services. If specialty care is needed out of state- too bad Teachers' Health Trust will expect you to pay 30% out of pocket.
In addition, because they are a Trust, they are not regulated by the Nevada Department of Insurance....so, you must seek relief through the Federal Government if not satisfied with their decision.
CCEA is trying to save teaching positions that were for 1 YEAR ONLY AND THESE TEACHERS KNEW IT!!!!! THEY WERE PAID FOR WITH THE FEDERAL STIMULUS PLAN.....NOW THEY ARE ASKING TEACHERS TO GIVE UP THEIR SALARY SO THEY CAN KEEP THEIR JOBS?........WAKE UP RUBEN......THE UNION REPRESENTS ALL TEACHERS, NOT JUST NEW TEACHERS WHO KNEW THEY WERE TEMPORARY TEACHERS WHEN THEY WERE HIRED.......THIS TIME, THE DISTRICT IS CORRECT !!!!!
As the parent of a student at Canarelli Middle School and Sierra Vista High School, where my daughter had more shiftless, unmotivated teachers than good ones, and as a friend to my daughter's peers who had similar experiences at Green Valley HS, Cheyenne HS, and Northwest Technical Academy, my experience hardened view is that Las Vegas children would be far better off simply shutting down for a year or 2, like the school district did in New Orleans after the hurricane. Fire all of the teachers, counselors, deans, assistant principals, principals and administrative hierarchy, wait a year, and simply start over. This is a terrible school system; the school board is useless; the Superintendent and Chief Asst. Superintendent are useless egomaniacs; and the District administration contribute nothing to the education of Las Vegas kids. Laying off 600+ personnel will accomplish nothing in terms of improving the educations delivered school system. Laying off 20,000 would be a far better idea. And yes I am in favor of vouchers, as a means on punishing the "professional educators" for doing such a terrible job of educating the nice, decent, hardworking girls I know who have been abused and neglected by the high schools in the CCSD.
Peter Griffin wrote on August 12, 2011 10:36 AM: @BURKIT Again if your argument is, "If its that bad go do something else." I challenge you to use that SAME argument with the Review Journal and the people who post on here. If we are that bad.... Simply go read and post elsewhere. Your advice not mine. Once you tell me how that works, I may feel comfortable telling grown people who work in America to "sac up" or shut up. Next time I hear an active duty soldier "WHINING" about how horrible it is in DA SUK" I will re direct them to you and your "SELL REFRIDGERATORS" comment. Gets funnier everytime I say it (peter griffin laugh)
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What I said still stands. I have not said I have a problem with this newspaper, your words not mine. The money is not there and public can't bail you out ANY more. Lay off the 800 and see where we stand after that. Peter. when you get up, wake up!
Brian--Dead on!! Keeping teacher morale up will also help!! If they were being paid big bucks and asked to take a pay cut, fine, but that's not the case. They are required to continue their education, while footing their own bill.