Collective Bargaining Proposals

Lawrence Teachers Union

August 22 , 2007

Compensation

1. Increase the hourly rate of pay as follows:

Effective 9/1/07 $33.00

Effective 9/1/08 $36.00

Effective 9/1/09 $40.00

2. Effective 9/1/07 add a new salary column Masters plus 90 to the salary grid which corresponds to the current Doctoral column. The Doctoral column will increase by $1,000 at each step.

Leaves of Absence

1. Increase the number of personal days from 2 to 4. (p. 19)

2. Teachers who are calling in sick shall not be required to make more than one call to notify the school that they will be absent.

Working Conditions

1. Vandalism to teachers’ cars: Add the following sentence to IV, section X (pp. 46-47): “Teachers shall be reimbursed by the School Department for all out-of-pocket expenses resulting from vandalism to their cars during school hours or activities.”

Class Size

Delete the current language of Article IV E (p.30) and replace it as follows:

The class size maxima during this agreement shall be as follows:

1. Kindergarten, Grade 1, and grade 2 20

Grades 3 through 5 23

Grades 6 through 12 25

2. Structured English Immersion, Bilingual Classes, and ESL Classes 20

3. In rooms with specific students stations, e.g., shops, Labs, science labs, the number of pupils assigned to such rooms shall not exceed the number of student stations available.

4. Class size for program prototypes 502.2, 502.3, and 502.4 shall conform with Regulations published by the State Department of Education.

5. An appropriate number of regular teachers shall be hired to make possible the aforementioned class size maxima.

6. Whenever the class size maxima is violated, teachers shall be compensated $10.00 per student per day at the elementary level and $2.00 per student per class per day at the secondary level. Compensation under this section shall be retirement worthy.

Preparation Time

Rewrite the first sentence of J8 (p. 32) as follows:

“All elementary teachers, including specialists, shall be provided with at least 220 minutes of teacher directed preparation time per week exclusive of lunch and recess time.”

Professional Development

1. Professional Improvements – Amend Article IV section Q (p.36) by adding the following sentence: “At least ten hours of the contractually required professional development time shall be dedicated to no cost workshops in content areas that are acceptable for PDP’s, and teacher licensure and recertification.”

2. Tuition reimbursement 9a. (p. 40) Change $600 to $1,200 and change $800 to $1,600.

Plan Books

Add new language:

“Teachers shall maintain plan books. Plan books are the personal property of teachers that are used as a guide for the material to be covered during classroom instruction. There shall be no requirement that plan books be overly detailed and they should not needlessly add burdensome paperwork to a teacher’s workload.

“Principals may review a teacher’s plan books during classroom observations or at other reasonable times during the school day when the teacher is not using the plan book. Principals may not keep a teacher’s plan book overnight. Plan books shall not be graded by the principal.”

Transfers and Building Assignments

Amend Article V Section A (p. 47) to include the following:

1. “All Counselors who were involuntarily removed from their school will be given the opportunity to return to their previous assignment effective on the first day of school for the 2007-08 school year.”

2. “There shall be no involuntary transfer of permanent teachers, counselors, or other professional staff.”

Posting of Positions

1. Amend Article V B, section 1 (p. 48) to include “interim and acting” positions.

Union Privileges and Responsibilities 1. Time for Union Business: Add the following to Article VII C. (p. 51): “All union building representatives shall be allowed forty-five minutes per week for the purpose of conferring with teachers on grievance or associated matters.”

LTU Modified Proposals and Counter Proposals Compensation

Amend Article II Compensation (pp. 9-12) and Appendix B (p. 65) to reflect the following changes:

1. Provide the following salary increases to all members of the bargaining unit:

Effective 9/1/07 6% LSC’s Counter is: 1%

Effective 9/1/08 6% 1%

Effective 9/1/09 6% 1%

2. Article II D. Differentials for Special Personnel:

a. Increase the dollar amount in #3 – same percentage as salaries

b. Increase the dollar amount in #4 – same percentage as salaries

c. Remove “the MINT District Licensure Facilitator” from #5.

d. Rewrite #6 as follows: “The Facilitator of Mentoring/Peer Assistance will assume the responsibilities of the MINT District Licensure Facilitator and will work a 210 day work year plus an extended day at a differential/stipend of $12,500 added to his/her base pay.”

e. Increase the dollar amount in #7 – same percentage as salaries

f. Hold Subsection #8a

g. Increase the dollar percentage in #9 – same percentage as salaries, and add school psychologists to this section

h. Increase the dollar amount in #10 – same percentage as salaries

i. Subsection #10 shall remain in effect for the 2007-08 school year. The union and management agree to renegotiate the issue of “advisories” for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

3. Article II J. – Career Increments - Add the following career increment for members of the bargaining unit who commenced employment after July 1, 2002 (p.14):

Completion of 5 years of consecutive service $600

4. Delete Article II Section N.- Early Retirement Incentive (p.15). {Provided that the LSD pays Gallagher, Sullivan, and Callagy a one time payment of $2,500 each.}

Leaves of Absence

1. Article III, Section A. - Sick Leave – (p.15): Change cap on the accumulation of sick leave from 200 days to 300 days. The 200 day cap would still apply to severance pay and buy back provisions.

2. Rewrite Article III section O – Schedule for Union President - (p.24) as follows: “The President of the Lawrence Teachers Union shall be released 1/2 time to perform union duties with full salary and benefits paid by the Lawrence school Department.”

Working Conditions

1. Rewrite the last sentence of Article IV B (p. 27) as follows: “Newly hired teachers shall attend three days of orientation and those who complete the school year shall receive a $500.00 bonus at the end of the school year.”

1. Building Meetings: Add the following new sections (c) and (d) to Article IV C 5 (p. 29):

c. “No teacher shall be required to make any kind of presentation during these meetings.”

d. “The chairperson of the school’s union committee shall be allowed 10 minutes on the agenda of these meetings to discuss faculty issues.”

2. Teachers’ Choice Program: Amend Article X C, section 6 (p. 58) by changing $100 to $200. (Clarify that effective with this contract, the Teachers’ Choice Program only applies to school-based educational service providers.)

Professional Development

1. Payment schedule for tuition reimbursement 9e (p. 40) Rewrite this section as follows: “Tuition reimbursement payments will be paid within 60 days after the Human Resources Office has received a copy of the grade report or transcript and proof of payment.”

Fringe Benefits

Life Insurance – Rewrite Article VIII C (p.55) as follows: “The City of Lawrence shall provide 100% of the cost of a $5,000 life insurance policy as adopted by the city.”

“Bundled” Proposals

A. The LTU would agree to drop:

Priority of space: Add to Article IV G (p.30) the following: “The Superintendent of the Lawrence Public Schools shall issue a directive to all administrators making it clear that LTU members who teach or otherwise provide services to children shall be given priority in obtaining classrooms and adequate space before “extended services” personnel, outside agencies, or coaches.”

and

Adequate, clean, and safe learning space: Add to Article IV G (p. 30) the following: “All students and staff shall be provided with adequate, safe, and clean learning spaces/classrooms. A joint union/management committee shall be established to review and address complaints regarding inadequate, unsafe, or unclean learning areas.”

Provided that the LSC agrees to:

Health and Safety Standards (p. 35) Delete N3 and replace with the following: “Students and staff will be moved to an alternate site when the temperature in the building remains s below 60 degrees for an hour.”

B. The LTU would agree to drop:

Article II L. Severance Pay (p.14) – Increase to 40%.

Provided that the LSC agrees to drop:

Article III A - Sick Leave (p.15)

1. Change two (2) to zero

2. Change three (3) to zero

3. Change (5) to zero

Change (3) to zero

Change six (6) to zero

Change seven (7) to zero

Agreements

1. Article II Compensation: Increase all rates, differentials, and stipends, except the hourly rate, at the same percentage rate as the general salary increases.

2. Article II Compensation: Section D (p.10) – Differentials for Special Personnel:

Delete Subsection #1

Increase the dollar amount in #2 to $1,000 (H.S. Counselors.)

Delete Subsection #8b

Add a new subsection #11 - “Special Education teachers who are completing Alternative MCAS Assessment Portfolios as mandated on the IEP’s for the D.O.E. will be given sufficient time for this purpose.”

3. Add to Article II D – Differentials for Special Personnel (p.11) - a new #12: “All National Board Certified Teachers shall receive additional compensation in the amount of $2,500 annually as long as they hold National Board Certification. Such payment will be part of the teachers’ annualized salary for retirement purposes.”

4. Amend Article II Section G – Extra-Curricular Activities (p.11) – as follows:

Class Advisors – Lawrence High School

Senior class (6 advisors) $2,000 each

Junior class (6 advisors) $1,000 each

Sophomore class (6 advisors) $ 700 each

Freshman class (6 advisors) $ 700 each

All other compensation rates in this section will increase at the same percentage as the across the board salary increases.

5. Amend section L.- Severance Pay (p.14) - as follows: “Change sixty (60) days to ninety (90) days.”

6. Amend Article III, Section E – Personal Leave (p.19) – by changing, in the third paragraph, “five (5) school days” to “seven (7) school days.”

7. Article III, Section R (p. 25) Leaves of Absence Not Covered By the Agreement: Change “School Committee” to “Superintendent.”

8. Article IV, Section C 3 (p. 28) Flexible School Start Times: Change May 1st to May 15th.

9. Article IV, Section C 9 (p. 28) NEW – Phone Usage: Add a new section 9 as follows: “Except in an emergency situation, teachers shall not conduct personal business on school phones or cell phones during the school day, except during their lunch period.”

10. Add to Article IV G School Facilities/Health and Safety (p. 30) the following: “Except in emergency situations, there shall be no painting done in school buildings occupied by students during school hours. The same shall apply to re-pointing of bricks, refinishing of floors, or use of disruptive chemicals for repairing buildings.”

11. Parents Coming into Schools During the School Day: Add to Article IV G (p. 30) the following: “Each school will establish a protocol for parents to visit classrooms with expressed advanced notification to the teachers.”

12. Article IV, Section H (p. 31) NEW – Educational “Team Visits” to Classrooms: Add the following:

a. Management and the Union agree that normally educational team visits to a teacher’s classroom shall not be a part of a teacher’s evaluation and nothing connected with such visits shall be included in a teacher’s personnel file.

b. Faculties shall be given at least 24 hours advanced notice when team visits are going to occur in their buildings.

c. Generally visiting teams shall not consist of more than five people.

d. Whenever any written report results from these visits, teachers shall receive a copy of these reports as soon as they are available.

e. This section shall not apply to Superintendent visits.

13. Article IV, Section J 10 (p. 32) Teaching Programs: Change “Grades One to Six” to “Grades One to Four.”

14. Article IV, Section L (p. 34) Cooperating Teachers: Change “Training Teachers” to “Cooperating Teachers.”

15. Article IV, Section M 3 (p. 35) Notices and Announcements: Rewrite paragraph 3 as follows: “A ‘hard copy’ of all official circulars pertaining to teachers shall be sent to the Lawrence Teachers Union office and shall be posted on the school bulletin boards and/or the Lawrence Public School’s website.”

16. Article IV, Section Q7 (p. 39) - Professional Improvements – In the list of topics change “Analysis of student work” to “Analysis of student work and data.”

Add the following topics: “Data-Based Decision Making,” “Value-Added Assessment,” and “Seven Essentials of School Transformation.”

17. Article IV, Section Q 9 (p. 40) Tuition Reimbursement: Add the following language - “Teachers shall have assess to the full amount of tuition reimbursement even if this amount is applied to more than one course.”

18. Article IV, Section V1 (p. 42) Reduction in Force: Change “Committee” to “Superintendent.”

19. Article IV, Section V2 (p.42) Definitions: Change “Qualified” to “Highly Qualified.”

20. Rewrite Article V C - Other Job Openings - (p.48) as follows: “Positions in the Lawrence summer school, federal programs, and ABE evening positions shall be filled first, if possible, by regularly appointed teachers in the Lawrence School System who possess the necessary qualifications.”

21. Article VII, Section B (p.51) NEW – COPE Check-off: Add the following language - “The Union may secure authorization of payroll deductions for a union COPE (Committee on Political Education) fund. The Committee will request the Treasurer of the City of Lawrence to submit such sums in total to the Union Treasurer.”

22. Add the following to Article VII C. (p.51): “The School Department, except in an emergency situation, shall not schedule any required meetings for teachers during the afternoons of regularly scheduled union membership meetings. Further, members of the Lawrence Teachers Union Executive Board shall be excused from any school meetings that conflict with regularly scheduled LTU Executive Board meetings. “The paragraph above shall not apply to any student instructional programs or student after school programs.”

23. Amend Article XIV, Duration of Agreement (p. 61) as follows:

“This Agreement and each of its provisions shall be in effect as of the day teachers are required to report for the start of the 2007-08 school year and shall continue in full force and effect until the day before teachers are required to report for the start of the 2009-10 school year. Negotiation for a successor agreement shall commence on or about October 1, 2009.”

Items Dropped

1. (LSC) Article I C – Management Rights Clause (p. 8) – Add: “The parties agree and understand that nothing in this agreement shall prevent the school district from fulfilling all legal requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act.”

2. (LTU) Substitute Coverage (p. 9.) Add the following language: “It shall be the policy of the School Department that substitutes shall be hired to cover classes of regularly assigned teachers when they are absent. No regular teacher shall be required to act as a substitute teacher.”

3. (LTU) Effective 9/1/08 add an additional new salary column Masters plus 120 to the salary grid which will correspond to the 07/08 Doctoral column. The Doctoral column will increase again by $1,000 at each step.

4. (LTU) Amend Article III A - Sick Leave (p.15) - by adding the following language: “As a pilot program, teachers shall be allowed to take up to two ½ sick days per year.”

5. (LSC) Article III F6 – Maternity Leave (p.21) – Change “Ninety-one (91) days” to “one hundred thirty-five (135) days.”

6. (LTU) Article III I1 - Funeral Leave (p. 23) on the death in the immediate family, change “5 days” to “5 school days.”

7. (LSC) Article IV A – Discipline Code (p.26) – Delete Subsection 2.

8. (LTU) Article IV G - School Facilities/Health and Safety (p.30) - Add: “When suitable parking areas for teachers are not provided, the School Department shall reimburse teachers up to $40.00 per month for parking costs.”

9. (LSC) Article IV J – Teaching Programs (p. 32) – Revise subsection 5 as follows: “Secondary teachers shall be assigned a maximum of five teaching periods per day or the equivalent instructional time.”

10. (LSC) Article IV Q 4e3 (p. 38): Change “faculty” to “faculty members”

11. (LSC) Article V A - Transfers and Building Assignments (p. 48) – Add the following to subsection 8: “In the event that the school district is required to take action because of an underperforming school, the provisions of Section A. will be null and void.”

12. (LSC) Article VI – Grievance Procedure (p.49) – Add to section 1: “All grievances must include the names of every member covered by the grievance.”

School Department’s Remaining Proposals

1. Employees will be covered by Workers Compensation.

2. Revision of Performance Standards and the Evaluation Procedures.

3. Dress Code for Teachers.

4. Increase teacher workday to 7 hours and thirty minutes.

5. Monthly meetings between Union and Superintendent “or designee.”

6. Right to test employees for alcohol and drugs.