For Immediate Release

St. Louis Public Schools Union Negotiations Update

(January 14, 2005) - Following lengthy negotiations carried out with the assistance of a federal mediator, and upon the request of the Teachers Union Local 420, the Board of Education for the St. Louis Public Schools has provided its final proposal to address each of the Union negotiating committee’s concerns.

The Union negotiating committee agreed to submit the proposal to its membership for ratification.

St. Louis Public Schools Board President Darnetta Clinkscale said, "I am very pleased that the negotiating teams have reached this point. This proposal is the result of constructive discussions with the Union, and I am hopeful that it will ensure that our outstanding teachers will remain in the classroom for our children."

The proposal provides additional compensation to the five percent of the teacher force that would not have received a raise under the Board’s original plan. These teachers are on BA Step L of the pay plan, and they would receive $2,000 lump-sum payments on the first pay dates in December during the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Board also agreed to re-index the teacher salaries at the start of the 2006-2007 school year to ensure parity with the five pay-parity districts in St. Louis County at the start of the 2007-2008 school year.

The Board has also offered to provide paraprofessional and non-certificated employees with an additional payment of $500 on the first pay day following June 1, 2005, and that the Board will conduct a salary survey during the spring semester of 2005, implementing any resulting salary changes after meeting and conferring with the Union.

This salary survey will ensure that the district’s paraprofessional and non-certificated employees will be paid at market rates. A similar survey helped produce the pay-parity plan at the heart of the current proposal’s pay raises for teachers.

The Board’s proposal continues the district’s commitment to providing excellent health insurance for all employees at no premium cost to employees. The Board agreed to the Union’s request to keep deductibles at a low and reasonable rate.

The Board proposes to phase in the increases in length of school-day instructional time.

In agreement with the district’s teachers, who share the commitment to enhancing
classroom instruction, the length of the school day will increase by 35 minutes for the 2005-2006 school year, and by an additional 20 minutes at the start of the 2006-2007
school year, for a total increase in instructional time of 55 minutes by the 2006-2007 school year.

Similarly, the school year is increasing from 180 to 187 work days for 2005-2006, and to 190 work days for 2006-2007.

The Board agreed with the Union’s request that binding arbitration be continued for the resolution of grievances.

For more information call Chief of Staff, Alice Roach at 345-2490.