2018-2019 SDPBC/CTA Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations Have Concluded!

This email update is meant to give you a brief summary of the outcomes of proposals made by both the CTA/SDPBC during the 2018-2019 negotiation season. Once clean copies of all agreements and contract language changes have been drafted, a future email will be sent out for members to review.

Additionally, information will be disseminated soon regarding the legal process for school board approval and bargaining unit ratification of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), by paper ballot vote. This process does take time and must adhere to strict legal guidelines. It is expected to take anywhere from 4-6 weeks. At that point in time, a date will be established by the SDPBC to distribute retroactive raise funds to members of the T-bargaining unit.

All agreements will be BOLDED AND UNDERLINED IN GREEN.
All rejected proposals will be BOLDED AND UNDERLINED IN RED.
If you would like to review the existing CBA between the SDPBC/CTA, use the following web address:
https://www.palmbeachschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_270532/File/Careers/Labor%20Relations/CTA-July-2017-June-2020-CBA-Successor.pdf



SDPBC Proposals

1.   Article II, Section F – Employee Authority and Protection

- SDPBC has proposed changing language in this section from “assault” to “battery”, from “injury” to “serious physical injury”, from “physically assaulted” to “seriously injured as a result of battery”, under the premise that the changes in terminology carry different legal implications and they prefer the proposed language over the existing language. 

  • THIS PROPOSAL WAS NOT AGREED TO.

2.   Article II, Section G – Employee Evaluation

- SDPBC has proposed eliminating most language relating to T-bargaining unit member evaluations from the CBA based on the premise that “The evaluation instruments and procedures are contained in a separate document entitled the Classroom Teacher Evaluation System (“CTES”) Handbook. The CTES Handbook outlines the process for the improvement of instruction as well as the review and assessment of the annual performance of an employee. The CTES Handbook is hereby incorporated into and made a part of this contract. The CTES Handbook shall be available online to all employees.”

- SDPBC has proposed language establishing strict time-frames for an employee to file a grievance when a procedural error has occurred during the administration of an employee evaluation. 

- SDPBC has proposed changes to Joint Evaluation Negotiation Committee (JENC) procedures that would establish an accelerated process of mediation and impasse, if both parties fail to reach consensus.

  • THIS PROPOSAL WAS NOT AGREED TO.

3.   Article II, Section Q – ESE Employees, Physical Restraint Procedures

- SDPBC has proposed changes to the language in this section of the contract pertaining to physical restraint procedures under the premise that it contains language that is inconsistent with current state statutory language and legally permissible restraint procedures. 

  • CHANGES WERE AGREED TO REGARDING UPDATING CONTRACT LANGUAGE IN THIS SECTION TO ALIGN WITH EXISTING SCHOOL BOARD POLICY EXPECTATIONS AND STATE STATUTORY LANGUAGE.

4. Article IV, Section C – Voluntary Transfer Period

- SDPBC has proposed changes that will expand voluntary transfer eligibility to teachers in their second and third year of employment with the District, under specific conditions. In addition to already existing language that states, “the applying teacher is in at least his/her third year of employment with the District”, the District has proposed adding “or has completed probation at the time of the transfer and is transferring into a high needs school, as defined by the District each December, from a non-high needs school”.

  • LANGUAGE WAS AGREED TO THAT WILL ALLOW A MEMBER OF THE T-BARGAINING UNIT IN THEIR 2nd YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE SDPBC TO TRANSFER FROM A "NON-HIGH NEEDS SCHOOL" TO A "HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOL". "HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOL" WILL BE DEFINED BY THE SDPBC WITH INPUT FROM CTA.

5.   Appendix B – Supplements

SDPBC has proposed the following changes to the existing supplement list:

- Increase the number of “School Psychology Intern Supervisor” positions in the District from one to three

- Create and provide supplements to “Academic Coach” positions at all school levels. Proposed language states, “The District may select regular classroom teachers to provide professional development to other classroom teachers in high needs schools, as defined by the District, in December of the prior year. $2,500 per year to Academic Coaches who lead at least three(3) professional development sessions at his/her location; provide ten(10) opportunities for other teachers to watch modeled instruction; and supply no fewer than five(5) comprehensive lesson plans to other teachers. $5,000 per year to Academic Coaches who lead at least six(6) professional development sessions at his/her location; provide fifteen(15) opportunities for other teachers to watch modeled instruction; and supply no fewer than ten(10) comprehensive lesson plans to other teachers.”

  • AGREEMENT WAS REACHED TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF "SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY INTERN SUPERVISOR" POSITIONS AND CREATE A NEW SUPPLEMENT FOR NEWLY CREATED "ACADEMIC COACH" POSITIONS IN SELECT "HIGH NEEDS SCHOOLS. "HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOL" WILL BE DEFINED BY THE SDPBC WITH INPUT FROM CTA.

6.   Appendix M – Extended Instructional Day

- The SDPBC has proposed changes to existing contract language as it pertains to extended day schools (as designated by the DOE) under the premise that the proposed language changes in the contract will allow the existing agreement to perpetuate itself without the need for re-signing a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) each school year.

  • THIS PROPOSAL WAS AGREED TO.

7.   Salary – SDPBC initial salary proposal is as follows:

- Highly Effective (including COLA) = 2.26%
- Effective (including COLA) = 1.82%
- Developing/Needs Improvement (COLA only) = 0.50%
- New FY18-19 (Cola only) = 0.50%

  • Highly Effective (including COLA) - 3.50%
  • Effective (including COLA) - 2.75%
  • Developing/Needs Improvement (COLA only) = 0.50%
  • New FY18-19 (COLA only) = 0.50%

THE SDPBC/CTA HAVE AGREED TO THE CTA COUNTER-PROPOSAL (SEE ABOVE).





CTA Proposals

1.   Article 2, Section O – Children of Employees

CTA has proposed the following contract language changes regarding children of employees:

- In addition to existing language that permits the children of an employee to enroll at the school-site of their parent, children of employees shall also be allowed to enroll in a school that will feed into and/or a school that will receive students from the school-site of their parent.

- Increase the District After-School Child Care Program employee discount from 25% to 100%.

  • LANGUAGE WAS AGREED TO THAT WILL ALLOW PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITHIN THE T-BARGAINING UNIT TO ENROLL THEIR CHILD IN FEEDER/RECEIVER SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL WORK-SITE OF THEIR PARENT. THERE ARE SOME RULES AND RESTRICTIONS ON THIS AGREEMENT. THEY WILL BE DETAILED ONCE CLEAN DOCUMENTS ARE DRAFTED WITH ALL NEW LANGUAGE.

  • THE AFTER-SCHOOL DISCOUNT PROPOSAL WAS NOT AGREED TO.

2.   Article 4, Section B – Posting and Filing Vacancies

- CTA has proposed that all T-bargaining unit vacancies at a school-site shall be emailed to the school’s faculty at the same time the vacancy is posted on the school district’s website. 

  • THIS PROPOSAL WAS NOT AGREED TO.

3.   Article 8, Section B – Experience for Salary Defined

- CTA has proposed that retirees who are re-hired by the SDPBC shall be paid a salary equal to Step 17 (a change from the current Step 7 placement) on the Salary Placement Scale. Additionally, no retired teacher who is currently employed in the District shall make less than $50,900 (a change from the current $46,200 retiree re-hire starting salary).

  • AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED TO ALLOW (FOR THE EXPLICIT PURPOSE OF REFERENDUM SUPPLEMENT ELIGIBILITY) ALL ACCREDITED AND RECOGNIZED YEARS OF SERVICE BY THE SDPBC FOR RE-HIRED RETIREES TO COUNT.

  • THE INCREASE TO RE-HIRED RETIREE BASE PAY UPON RE-HIRING WAS NOT AGREED TO.

4.   Article 8, Section N – Mandatory In-Service

- CTA has proposed that one-half of each Professional Development Day (PDD) on the District calendar shall be reserved for teachers to complete their annual, mandatory in-service requirements.

  • THE SDPBC WILL IDENTIFY AND COMPILE A LIST OF ALL MANDATORY IN-SERVICE TRAININGS PRIOR TO THE NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS. THIS WILL ALLOW BOTH PARTIES TO ANALYZE AND POTENTIALLY ADDRESS THE DESIRE BY CTA FOR DEDICATED, MANDATORY IN-SERVICE TRAINING TIME DURING PDD DAYS. THIS ITEM WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ADDED TO THE NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS.

  • THE DEDICATED PORTION OF EACH PDD DAY TO ALLOW EDUCATORS TO PERFORM INDEPENDENT MANDATORY IN-SERVICE TRAINING WAS NOT AGREED TO AT THIS TIME.
5.   Appendix B – Supplements

- CTA has proposed the creation of a “Certified ESE Teacher” supplement for employees with the following job codes: 52700, 52750, 52800, 52950, 53010, 53050, 53100, 53150, 53200, 53250, 53300, 53350, 53950, 54000, 54050, 54100, 54150 in the amount of $1,000, annually.

  • THIS PROPOSAL WAS NOT AGREED TO.

6.   Appendix D – Additional Period Supplement

- CTA has proposed increasing the rate for the sixth period supplement from $25 to $45 per period.

  • THIS PROPOSAL WAS NOT AGREED TO.

7. Salary

  • Highly Effective (including COLA) - 3.50%
  • Effective (including COLA) - 2.75%
  • Developing/Needs Improvement (COLA only) = 0.50%
  • New FY18-19 (COLA only) = 0.50%

THE SDPBC/CTA HAVE AGREED TO THE CTA COUNTER-PROPOSAL (SEE ABOVE).
Sincerely,

CTA Negotiations Team

(Apologies in advance for any typos)