AURORA EAST UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT #131 LAST AND FINAL CONTRACT SETTLEMENT OFFER TO THE EAST AURORA LOCAL COUNCIL 604 AFT/IFT UPDATED AUGUST 25, 2018 This updated Last and Final Contract Settlement Offer, which updates the District s offer of June 28, 2018, contains additional language modifications discussed with the Union subsequent to that date, as well as an updated cost calculation based on the number of current employees. The economic proposals contained herein, however, are identical and unchanged from the District s Last and Final Offer of June 28, 2018 except that the District has withdrawn its proposal for a wage reopener. I. Summary of Negotiation Efforts The East Aurora School District #131 ( District ) and the East Aurora Local Council 604 AFT/IFT ( Union ) have been actively and diligently engaged in collective bargaining negotiations since February of 2018. During that time the parties have addressed approximately 85 different language sections and exchanged economic proposals. While believing that many of the proposals did not address actual existing issues in the District, the District agreed most of the changes proposed by the Union. This was done in an effort to convey the desire of the District to foster a closer and better working relationship between the administration and the employees. In addition, as noted in the economic proposals as far back at 2015, it has been the desire of the District to have compensation of its employees competitive with neighboring districts, particularly District #129. At the time of the last negotiations progress was made towards the economic goal despite the fact that the legislature was pro-rating GSA, resulting in reductions in income for the District of approximately $38.5 million dollars over the prior five years. Despite that, we were able to develop compensation for our support and office staff so as to be consistently at the top of the scale in comparison to our neighboring districts. For our teachers, compensation for employees holding bachelor degrees was made competitive, but the salaries for those with higher degrees, even with substantial increases, was not. While this year the District has received increased funding from the state, the District must also keep in mind that it is not a real estate tax reliant District and that there is no assurance that funds in the future will be increased in order to keep up with salary increases. In addition, the District must balance demands for its funds, including tax relief for our residents, capital needs to keep its schools updated and in compliance with codes, meet the requirements enumerated by the ISBE for education of its students, and compensation for its employees. Keeping all of the foregoing in mind, the District made a final offer with a goal, by the second year, to bring all teachers up to comparable levels, and in some instances, to be well ahead of neighboring districts, and to maintain our support and office staff at the upper levels of compensation for their positions. At this juncture, an impasse has been reached. In accordance with Section 5/12 of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA) [115 ILCS 5/12] the District s most recent offer is in two parts. Part one is this summary document, with estimated costs, and part two is a redlined version of the entire contract. These two documents constitute the District s most recent offer for purposes of fulfilling its obligations under the IELRA. 1
II. Board Proposal - Language The sections with modifications are listed below. The references are to the section numbers from the existing agreement and not as renumbered based on the proposed movement of sections to the General Provisions, or the deletion of sections. For this offer the District proposes to maintain the negotiated provisions which were initialed as tentatively agreed. For sections not previously agreed, but discussed in negotiations, the specific prior proposal, either as proposed by the Union, or as proposed by the District in response to a Union demand, is noted. In the alternative, the notation is that the language from the prior contract is to remain unchanged. Economic sections are addressed in a separate section below. Any contract section not specifically listed below, or in the economic section, is proposed to remain with the same language as in the existing but expired collective bargaining agreement. The references in the contract to the Director of Human Resources is globally changed to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. The District proposes a three year contract. The language sections are: Section 1.2: Recognition. District counter-proposal of March 14. Section 1.3: Section 1.4: Section 2.1: Section 2.2: Section 2.3: Section 2.4: Section 2.5: Section 2.6: Conformity to Law. Language to remain unchanged. Non-Discrimination. Language to remain unchanged. Right to Representation. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Union/Superintendent Meetings. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Union/Principal Meetings. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Information to Union. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Meetings/Notices. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Dues check off. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 2.9: Fair Share. Deleted per discussion on July 25. Section 2.8: Union Presentation. District counter-proposal of May 15 Section 2.10: Union President Release Time. Language to remain unchanged. Section 3.0: Management Rights. Language to remain unchanged. Section 4.0: No Strike. Modified per discussion on August 7. 2
Section 5.1: Sick Leave. Union counter-proposal of February 14. Section 5.2: Section 5.3: Section 5.5: Section 5.7: Uncompensated Medical Leave. Language to remain unchanged. Personal Leave. Language to remain unchanged except for title change. Absence Due to Assault. Modified pursuant to signed TA. FMLA Leave. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 5.9: Union Leave. District counter-proposal of February 14. Article VI: Section 7.3: Personnel File. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Grievances. District counter-proposal of May 9 and modified per discussion on August 7. Section 8.1: Insurance. See economic proposal of May 9. Section 8.8: Section 8.9: Payment Schedule. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Mandated Training. Language to remain unchanged. Applies to all employees allowing 9.15 to be deleted. Section 8.10 Student Discipline. Moved from 9.10 pursuant to TA. Section 8.11. Tuition Reimbursement. Moved from 14.2, 19.4, and 24.5 pursuant to TA. Section 9.1: School Calendar. Modified pursuant to signed TA, but commencing the second year of the contract since no agreement can be reached prior to the start of the school year. Section 9.2 [Subsection A] Workday. Modified per discussion on August 7. Section 9.2 [current subsection K]. District counter-proposal of May 9. Section 9.2 Section 9.4: Section 9.5: [NEW subsection L] Special Education Release Time. Modified pursuant to signed TA and discussion on August 9. Faculty Meetings. Language to remain unchanged. Supervision/Special Events. Language to remain unchanged. 3
Section 9.6: Substitution. District proposal of June 11. See economic proposal. Section 9.7: Assignment and Transfers. District counter-proposal of June 11. Section 9.8: Vacancies. Union proposal of May 9. Section 9.9: Student Grades. Language to remain unchanged. Section 9.10: Student Discipline. Modified pursuant to signed TA and moved to 8.10 of the General Provisions Section 9.11: School Security. Language to remain unchanged. Section 9.13: Class Materials. Modified pursuant to signed TA on language, also as proposed in the economic section.. Section 9.14: Lesson Plans. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Appendix G to be deleted. Section 9.15: Mandated Training. Deleted. See Section 8.9. Section 10.1: Evaluations. District proposal of May 31. Section 10.4: Evaluations. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 10.8: Evaluations [observation time]. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 10.9: Professional Development/Remediation. District counter-proposal of February 14. Section 10.10: Evaluations. District counter-proposal of February14. Section 11.1: Discipline. District counter-proposal of March 21. Section 12.1: Seniority. Union proposal of June 11. Section 13.2: Personal Leave. Language to remain unchanged. Section 14.1: Salary Schedules. See economic proposal. Section 14.2: Tuition Reimbursement. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 14.4: Salary Schedule Advancement. District proposal of February 7. 4
Section 14.6: Retirement Plan. This section sunset and is deleted. Section 15: [New] Class Size. District counter-proposal for May 31. Section 15.1: Work Hours/Day/Year. District counter-proposal of April 3. Section 15.2: Seniority. District and Union joint draft of June 20 as modified. Section 15.3: Job Descriptions. District counter-proposal of February 14. Section 15.4: Job Assignment. District proposal of February 7. Section 15.5: Involuntary Transfers. Modified as discussed on August 7. Section 15.6: Vacancies and Transfers. District counter-proposal of June 11. Section 15.7: In-service/Institute Days. District proposal of February 7. Article XVI: Evaluations. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 17.1: Discipline. Modified as discussed on August 7. Section 18.1: Sick Leave. Language remains unchanged. Section 18.2: Personal Leave. Language remains unchanged. Section 19.1: Salary Schedule. See economic proposal. Section 19.2: Summer School and Summer Camp. See economic proposal. Section 19.3: Retirement Plan. This section sunset and is deleted. Section 19.3 [NEW] Interpreter Duties. District proposal of June 20 modified as attached. Section 19.4: Tuition Reimbursement. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 20.1: Work Hours/Day/Year. District counter- proposal of February 21. Section 20.2: Seniority. In conformity with Section 15.2. In addition, the position of Secretary- Preschool Grants is changed to a 12 month position, the Secretary-Special Education Student Services is moved to Secretary II, and the title Secretary- 5
Special Education Transportation is changed to Secretary-Transportation and is changed to a 12 month position. Section 20.3: Job Descriptions. District proposal of February 7. Section 20.5: Involuntary Transfers. Language remains unchanged. Section 20.6 Vacancies. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Article XXI: Evaluations. Modified pursuant to signed TA. Section 22.1: Discipline. Modified as discussed on August 7. Section 23.1: Sick Leave. Language remains unchanged. Section 23.3: Vacation. Language remains unchanged except deletion of last sentence as no longer applicable. Section 24.1: Salary Schedule. See economic proposal. Section 24.3: Summer School and Summer Camp. District language proposal of February 21; See economic proposal. Section 24.4: Retirement Plan. This section sunset and is deleted. Section 24.5: [NEW] Interpreter. In conformity with Section 19.3. Section 24.5: Tuition Reimbursement. Modified pursuant to signed TA. III Board Proposal Economics Section 8.1: Insurance. Modified per the District proposal of June 20. Section 9.6: Substitutions. District counter-proposal of June 11. In addition, modify the current rate for internal substitutions to $37.00 for the term of the agreement for all teachers. Section 9.13: Class Materials. Modified pursuant to TA and maintain class materials contribution at $200. Section 14.1: Salary Schedule. Salary schedules as attached for three years, which also has a comparison chart with District #129 for BS, BS16, MS, MS16, MS32, and MS48/PHD showing increase in step, FTE in each step, District #129 6
compensation for each step, and difference between District #129 and District #131. Finally, there is also attached a chart with example step increases for each group. Section 14.7: Summer Camp. Maintain current rates for summer school and summer camp. Appendix D-3: Stipend Schedule. Stipend schedule to be maintained at the current rate for the term of the agreement. Minimum record keeping requirements have been added for club stipends. In addition, the District proposes to make the following changes to the Stipend Schedule: Classification AA: Move PLC Facilitator to Classification A Classification E: Eliminate High School Freshman Head Football Coach Eliminate High School Auditorium Manager Move High School Head Dance to Classification H, High School Head Dance (Fall/Winter) Classification F: Move High School Head Tennis to Classification E Move High School Assistant Athletic Director II to Classification B and split into: High School Assistant Athletic Director (Fall) High School Assistant Athletic Director (Winter) High School Assistant Athletic Director (Spring) Eliminate High School Sophomore Head Basketball Coach Eliminate High School Sophomore Head Football Coach Classification G: Move Middle School Athletic Director to Classification D and split into: Middle School Athletic Director (Fall) Middle School Athletic Director (Winter) Middle School Athletic Director (Spring) Move High School Head Co-Ed Cross Country to Classification E and split into: High School Head Boys Cross Country High School Head Girls Cross Country Classification I: Move High School Ticket Manager to Classification E and split into: High School Ticket Manager (Fall) High School Ticket Manager (Winter) 7
Classification J: Move Community Service Organizer to Classification C Section 19.1: Salary [Support]. Salary schedule and longevity bonus as attached for three years. Support staff will be placed on the first compensation level above the employee s current pay rate. Any employee being paid above the maximum will be frozen until such time as the maximum pay rate exceeds the employee s rate. Section 19.4: Summer Camp. Maintain the current rate for summer school and summer camp. Section 24.1: Salary [Office]: Salary schedule and longevity bonus as attached for three years. Office staff will be placed on the first compensation level above the employee s current pay rate. Any employee being paid above the maximum will be frozen until such time as the maximum pay rate exceeds the employee s rate. Section 24.5: Summer Camp. Maintain the current rate for summer school and summer camp. IV. Cost Summary a. Board Proposed Summary and Comparables i. Certified Staff Salary Increases See attached schedules for 2018-2021 along with Step Change Examples ii. Support and Office Staff Salary Increases See attached salary schedule for 2018-2021 b. Estimated Cost of Board s Final Offer The District s offer is based on the attached schedules. The calculation of the estimated cost of the District s offer is based on an assumed employee population as of the date hereof. The actual cost of the District s offer can fluctuate up or down depending on changes in the employee population, including adjustments for retirees. In prior discussions the Union has indicated it has not used the same employee count as the District in making its calculations. i. Certified Staff Totals FY19 Cost: $3,663160 FY20 Cost: $8,883,592 FY21 Cost: $10,303,417 Total: $22,848,169 ii. Support Staff- Totals FY19 Cost $156,339 FY20 Cost $364,130 8
FY21 Cost $546,191 Total: $1,066,660 iii. Office Staff Totals FY19 Cost $47,627 FY20 Cost $116,731 FY21 Cost $179,852 Total: $344,210 Total salary and wage costs: $24,259,038 The cost of the District s proposal does not include other costs incurred, or expected to be incurred, e.g. increased insurance costs, longevity bonus, tuition reimbursement, or increases in staff, all of which cannot be precisely calculated but are deemed to be significant. 9