AEA-ASD Contract Negotiations
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AEA Web site - July 28, 2006
July 28, 2006 - In May the Anchorage School District and the Anchorage Education Association reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract. This agreement was not ratified by the association’s members and talks continue. The union has scheduled a membership meeting for August 23rd and announced the meeting on its web site. District comments on this announcement are posted below; highlighting was added by the district.
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Membership meeting » |
AEA |
ASD Response |
| Text of quote from web site (above): All-Member Meeting Wed. August 23 Egan Center 4:30 p.m.* To ratify a new tentative agreement or take a strike |
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The district believes the intent of the meeting is to review an agreement (if one has been reached) or to take a vote authorizing the union leadership to call a strike at a later date. A strike vote does not mean a strike will occur. |
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Next step » |
AEA |
ASD Response |
| Text of quote from web site (above): Q. What's the next step? A. Get back to the table. Our contract expired on June 30, and we have no new agreement. We are hoping to get back to the table before school starts, with another round of mediation. Our goal is a fair contract, not a job action. But we have also schedule a strike vote. |
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The district and the union are working together to schedule further talks. The district believes talks will be productive but may take longer than the union's timeline. |
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Finances » |
AEA |
ASD Response |
![AEA: What's happened over the summer? After your resounding rejection of the tentative agreement on June 5th, AEA leaders met wtih the district on June 20th. The district effectively said there's no new money to put on the table. We emphasized that our members were clear that the TA was not enough. [On July 20 Eric Tollefsen, the district's lead negotiator, repeated his 'no new money' assertion in the Eagle River Star.]](image2.gif)
| Text of quote from web site (above): Q. What's happened over the summer? A. After your resounding rejection of the tentative agreement on June 5th, AEA leaders met with the district on June 20th. The district effectively said there's no new money to put on the table. We emphasized that our members were clear that the TA was not enough. [On July 20 Eric Tollefsen, the district's lead negotiator, repeated his 'no new money' assertion in the Eagle River Star.] |
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After meeting with a federal mediator in late May, the district and association bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement. That tentative agreement included a $44 million increase over three years but was rejected. The district does not have finances available to increase the total cost of the contract. However, the district is open to modifying the agreement to meet the needs of members. |
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Salary » |
AEA |
ASD Response |
| Text of quote from web site (above): Q. What will my pay be this year? A. Until we have a new contract, there'll be no increase in salary and no increase in district contributions to our health insurance premiums. For those eligible, you'll get an experience step or a lane change for educational attainment. |
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In an effort to provide some salary increase prior to a contract settlement, the district is providing step (experience) and lane (educational credit) increases to returning teachers who are eligible. According to the union and the district, step movement increases pay by an average of 2%. Rates vary slightly, depending on education and experience. |
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Payday » |
AEA |
ASD Response |
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The district changed the payday for employees paid monthly to the 15th of each month. This change was made due to the earlier start date for school. |
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Medical Insurance » |
AEA |
ASD Response |
| Text of quote from web site (above): Q. What's our medical insurance cost this year? A. Rates have increased from $268/month to $391. Using waiver money, AEA has paid down the premium increase for July, August & September. Unless there is a settlement and the district's contribution increases, your October deduction will be $391. |
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If the tentative agreement had been approved, teachers would actually see a net decrease in their out of pocket cost for health insurance, according to the union leadership. |
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AEA provided this document  at its membership meeting prior to voting on the Tentative Agreement (6/5/06). The contents of the document have been duplicated below; highlighting was added by the district.
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AEA - June 5, 2006 |
Informed Voting
The goal of the Anchorage Education Association has been to provide members with solid information as they prepare to cast their ballots. Here are some unvarnished facts about the TA.
It is a three-year agreement July 1, 2006—June 30, 2009
The raises in salary are 3%, 2.5%, and 2.5%
Most of our members also receive step movement. While this is not a raise it increases take home pay by about 2%. Those members who change columns can also increase their pay.
For those topped out at the Master's plus 90 column there is a $1,000 in lieu of step payment that will count as income for your TRS retirement.
Increase in health insurance payments from ASD: Year 1--$90 increase to $790 per member, per month; Year 2--$100 increase, to $890, and Year 3--$100 increase, to $990. Next year's premium (with a modest 9%) increase will cost you $301 less than this year's.
- For Years 2 & 3 of the contract, if we assume the worst-case scenario of 12% annual increases, your premium payments would still be less than this year's.
- The 12% worst-case scenario is based on the NEA-AK Health Trust Policy that allows the Trustees to decide to utilize funds from the Rate Stabilization Account (up to a cap of 7%) to mitigate health premium increases above 12%.
There is one additional personal leave day. The total is now up to 3.5 per year
In the third year of the agreement there will be an additional half-hour of planning time for elementary teachers, the total would be 3.5 Hours per week.
There will be Collaboration with the district on incentives for hard-to-fill positions. The district cannot unilaterally determine to pay one group of members more than other groups.
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