HOWELL – The Howell K-8 School District Board of Education has voted unanimously to accept the findings of a thirdparty fact-finder concerning the ongoing contract impasse between the board and the Howell Township Education Association (HTEA).
The HTEA has more than 1,000 members and includes teachers, custodians, support staff and teachers’ assistants.
The HTEA’s previous contract expired on June 30, 2011. The HTEA members worked under the terms of the expired contract during the 2011-12 school year. A contract typically runs for three academic years.
The board, with the exception of John Van Noy and Patrick Dowling who were absent, accepted the findings at a special meeting held June 5.
Attorney Matthew J. Giacobbe, the district’s negotiator, said the parties had to formerly respond to the report prepared by JamesW. Mastriani of the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) by June 12. If the report is rejected or not responded to by either party, PERC will appoint a super-conciliator to continue mediation between the sides.
Despite the statutory deadline, Giacobbe opined that if the parties reached an agreement soon, PERC would not appoint the super-conciliator.
HTEA President Bill O’Brien told the board that the union would neither accept nor reject the fact-finder’s report until representatives could have Mastriani verify certain parts of his report.
O’Brien also said the HTEA would not be able to meet until June 19 at the earliest due to bylaws regarding required meeting notice for members.
Mastriani will not be available to address board or HTEA concerns until next week, according to district officials.
In the report, Mastriani proposes an amended salary guide structure designed to lessen the fiscal impact of teachers and other support staff receiving significant salary increases in the last step of schedules.
Referred to as a “salary bubble,” the salary in the now expired 2010-11 guide jumps from $69,852 to $96,775 at one point for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree, for example.
Mastriani suggested that the salary schedule be extended from 15 to 21 steps to stretch the increase over a longer period of time, agreeing with the board’s rationale that cited long-term sustainability concerns.
However, he found the board’s initial proposal of a 30-step guide to be unreasonable .
Additionally, the fact-finder suggested amending health care, increasing point of service co-pays for employees incrementally over the next three years.
The most talked about health care provision was an increase to out-of-network deductibles from $100/$200 to $250/$500 effective immediately, and to $500/$1,000 effective Sept. 1, 2013.
In addition, out-of-network reimbursement would increase from 80 percent to 150 percent of Medicare rates effective Sept. 1, 2012.
According to Giacobbe, this provision creates cost savings for the school district and will help contain health care cost increases for employees.
Overall, Giacobbe said, he believed the proposed solution was a fair one as neither side was “jumping for joy” in response to the fact-finder’s report.
Board President Timothy O’Brien agreed with Giacobbe’s assessment and lauded the HTEA for participating in a respectful negotiation.
“This has not been a contentious negotiation. We view this as a partnership,” O’Brien said. “This particular report gives us the ability to stay within the 2 percent [tax levy cap], it gives raises to all of our employees, and it also gives them an opportunity to control the costs of health care.
“While we don’t all get what we want, everyone here gets what they need, which is a balanced approach to meeting the challenge of the 2 percent cap and the current economic environment,” he added.
Board member Dr. Stephen M. Levine said he supported the fact-finder’s report due to his belief that the current salary guide and rising health costs are unsustainable and could eventually result in staff cuts and larger class sizes.
Some members of the public took a different view.
Resident Bob Manney said the proposed salary schedule would punish teachers who are approaching the salary bubble and would be in line for a raise of more than $25,000 in one year.
“Teachers who are near the bubble suffered through those years [where they received smaller salary increases],” Manney said, drawing applause from the audience. “The problem now is that you are asking them to suffer again. That’s not fair.”
The previous contract between the school board and the HTEA was signed in September 2008 and covered the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years, according to an article that was published in Greater Media Newspapers.
That deal gave HTEAmembers an average salary increase of 3.75 percent per year, according to district officials.
An HTEA member’s annual percentage increase is based on where that individual falls on the salary guide. Some HTEA members may have received an increase higher than 3.75 percent in some of the years covered by the contract and some HTEA members may have received an increase of less than 3.75 percent in some years.
— Contact James McEvoy at [email protected]