Unit 21 presses state on professional dues, incentives
Updated 5:15 p.m., June 24
Our Unit 21 negotiators have grown frustrated over the state’s
unwillingness to consider even minor compensation increases over professional
dues and training. The two sides met Monday night and signed only one tentative
agreement on the Alternative Pre-Retirement Death Benefit. The state rejected all
of our proposals for salary adjustment, longevity pay and education
differential. Each time the state negotiators cited the $15 billion budget
deficit as an excuse to reject even minor costs such as increasing compensation
for professional dues from $75 to $300.
“All proposals
with costs will be rejected because there is no money in the budget,” said
state negotiator Randy Fisher in bargaining on Monday.
Bargaining team member Miguel Cordova said that the state’s
tough stance with Unit 21 as well as the other eight bargaining units means
that we have to work even harder if we want see any action on our three main
economic proposals – pay parity, differential pay for doctorates and longevity pay.
We are holding a rally from 11:30
to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Department
of Education headquarters.
The state’s hard line “does not change our stance, but we
need you to take action,” Cordova said. “We need to force the issue. We need to
push the state to account for raises and parity in the coming fiscal year. They
have our cost proposals and, believe me, even though they are rejecting them,
they are running numbers. But they won't seriously consider these proposals if
we don't continue to put pressure on them that we are serious about our
demands.”