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This article provides details on the negotiations between GEA and GSD for the 2016-2017 school year, including a 3% salary increase, insurance changes, and protection of steps and lanes.
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NEGOTIATIONS 2016-2017 GEA NEGOTIATIONS TEAM Susen Zobel - GEA President – Bonneville Junior High Kathleen Riebe - GEA Vice President – Elementary STS Mike McDonough – UEA Board – Woodstock Elementary Michael Cramer – Kearns High School Star Orullian - GEA Executive Director, Spokesperson Cindy Formeller – GEA Associate Director
Salary Increase 3% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) $6.4 Million
Steps and Lanes • Fully funded Steps and Lanes $4.8 Million
Signing Bonus $500 Signing Bonus (For new hires to the profession) $200,000
Provisional Teachers • $800.00 increase to the first three steps of the teacher salary schedule, resulting in a starting salary of $36,714. • Provisional teachers will receive a 3.3% increase.
Legislative Supply Debit Card • Beginning August 10, 2016, teacher supply debit cards may be used to purchase items from the Granite District warehouse.
Let’s Talk Insurance… • One way to avoid insurance increases, or minimize insurance changes to the plans, is to reduce costs by being wise consumers of services. • ASK…Am I a wise consumer? • Use generics drugs whenever possible. • ER is for emergencies, not for something that can wait until morning. • Urgent or InstaCare costs the plan more than going to the doctor’s office, but not as much as a trip to the ER.
Insurance Facts • Insurance can be a “black hole of employee money.”It is General Fund money that would otherwise go toward salary (and boost retirement) if we did not have to fund high insurance increases. • Remember: Insurance is a line item that carries a cost of $63 Million. • Bottom line: The more we do, individually, to reduce usage, the more money there is available for salaries!
Insurance Changes GSD insurance plan had a 7.4% increase in usage. We had to cut… $5,000,000
Insurance Changes GEA and GESPA (our sister union) cut $2,000,000 and negotiated that GSD fund the remaining balance of $3,000,000
Insurance Notes • Recalibration of your portion of the insurance premiums. • Remember: • You pay: 7% and 22% • District pays: 93% and 78%
Insurance Deductible Changes This Year • Deductible • In Network $750.00 x 3 • Out of Network $800.00 x 3 Next Year • Deductible • In Network $1,000 x 3 • Out of Network $1,500 x 3
Office Visit Co-Pay Changes This Year • Office Visit Co-Pay • Select Med & Value Care • Generalist $25 • Specialist $35 • Select Med Plus & Value Care Plus • Generalist $30 • Specialist $40 Next Year • Office Visit Co-Pay • Select Med & Value Care • Generalist $40 • Specialist $50 • Select Med Plus & Value Care Plus • Generalist $40 • Specialist $50
Insurance Notes • Dental premiums will stay the same.
Let’s Recap We protected your steps and lanes! • A 4.8 million dollar benefit because of GEA. • This item alone may protect more than $25,000 over the career of a GEA member when he/she retires from Granite.
STEPS AND LANES • Question - Why are Steps and Lanes a core value of the NEA/UEA/GEA? • Answer - Because of the lifetime earning implications. If Steps and Lanes were frozen just one year…
Total Money Summary • 3% COLA $6,400,000 • Steps and Lanes $4,800,000 • Signing Bonus $200,000 • Insurance Benefit $63,000,000 • Steps 1-2-3 increase($800.00) $757,000 • TOTAL:$ 75.1 Million Settlement Package
Did you know… • We protected your Early Retirement Benefit? • Your Early Retirement Benefit, negotiated for you by GEA is worth more money than 30 years of GEA dues? • It is actually worth 5 to 7 times as muchas dues!
Other Items Negotiated… • New contract language added to Article 2.5: “The district agrees to provide payroll deductions for GEA membership dues.”
Other Items Negotiated… • Secondary Teachers Only: • Teacher Assistants (TA) will be selected by application to the principal only (the TA option will not be on the registration card). • Teachers will only be allowed one (1) TA each year. • Teachers can apply and principals can deny. • TAs will not be allowed in a teacher’s room during consultation time.
Other Items Negotiated… • Teachers will be able to OPT OUT of any digital presence (teachers’ photographs) for any school or district publication.
Other Items Negotiated… • Secondary Only – Evaluate the overall effectiveness of interventions, extensions and flex time, and how it impacts instructional time of content areas that are not double blocked. Principals will be given discretion to work with their School Leadership Team, Building Committee, and Community Council to reduce this time to provide more Tier One instructional time for subjects that are not double blocked.
Other Items Negotiated… • Curriculum maps and pacing guides will be updated before school starts. • Aligned with new teaching tools like • Go Math • Wonders
Other Items Negotiated … • GEA UniServ Director(s) will be included in the calendar decisions that impact Counselors, LMETS, STS, etc.
Other Items Negotiated … • Once a surplus teacher is placed in a new school and assignment, that assignment will not change unless the principal can make a reasonable case to, and receive approval from, the HR Director. This information will be added to principal surplus information for the 2017 school year.
Other Items Discussed in Negotiations… • Disciplinary issues are escalating and need attention. • BHAs are coming back.
Other Items Discussed… • Parents accessing buildings without checking into the front office. • This creates safety issues for students and teachers. • Memo 125 will be addressed with principals in Principals’ Meeting at the beginning of the year.
Other Items Discussed… • GEA asked for representation on the District MTSS and DISC committees. GSD declined this request. • GEA proposed a job swap – GSD declined this request; however, we had a great conversation about it.
The Future • GEA works hard on your behalf. • The contract is a 60+ year-old document. It is our legacy and must be protected. • Membership is the key to our success. • Now is the time to approach potential members. This settlement is the answer to their question, “What has GEA done for me today?”
Membership Opportunity • GEA is asking you to PLEASE: • Ask GEA members on each grade level, team, or department to talk to non-members about joining GEA. • The negotiated settlement is a great selling point as a $75 million dollar settlement! • The Early Enrollment (EEL) program is also a great selling feature, “Join us now at no cost until September.”
GEA Ratification Process • The GEA Board of Directors has met and formally recommends the tentative agreement to the Association Representatives (ARs) for your consideration. • Today, May 4, the Association Reps will vote to recommend (or not recommend) the tentative agreement to the GEA General Membership. • Ballots go out with ARs today for a ratification vote in the buildings (if the ARs vote to recommend). • ONLY GEA MEMBERS VOTE! • Include the EEL members you signed up since April 1!
Ratification Process (cont.)… • Ballots are DUE to the GEA office Wed., May 18, 2016 by 5:00 p.m. • Members will vote to approve, or reject, the tentative settlement that GEA has negotiated. • If GEA members do not ratify the tentative settlement, the negotiations team will go back to the negotiations table. Note: Membership forms are in your packets