Won’t cut 3.9% raises next year
Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era
Updated Apr 05, 2011 23:38
BRIAN WALLACE, Staff Writer
Manheim Township teachers have rejected proposals to freeze their salaries or cut their raises by 50 percent next year to help the school district balance its budget, according to district officials.
Manheim Township Education Association notified the school board Friday that it had rejected the requests, which would have saved the district between $500,000 and $1 million.
Union president Tod Harach could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.
School board president Hannah Bartges said there's "still room for conversation" on possible concessions, and the door remains open for another vote.
The administration in December asked the union to consider a pay freeze to help Manheim Township School District cope with a challenging budget year, Bartges said.
The district faces a $4 million funding gap as a result of rising expenses and reductions in local, state and federal revenue.
District administrators and some support staff members agreed to a wage freeze, and the administration asked teachers to consider forgoing next year's raises, which will average 3.9 percent, or accept a smaller hike of 2.0 percent, district spokeswoman Marcie Brody said.
The proposals did not include any promises from the administration that no teachers would be laid off next year.
The district is planning to furlough five teachers as part of a reduction in course offerings and has proposed cutting teacher stipends for coaches and advisers by 50 percent next year.
The wage freeze would have saved the district about $1 million; the smaller raises would have cut expenditures by about half that amount.
The administration told the union in December that it needed a decision on possible concessions by Thursday, Bartges said. On Friday, the union notified school board members via email that "the union rejected the options," Brody said.
It wasn't clear Tuesday whether the entire union membership or just union leaders voted on both proposals.
"We don't know what was presented to the membership," Brody said.
School board member Tom O'Brien said the proposals were explained to the membership at a meeting last week.
"My understanding is they were invited to vote. What they voted on or didn't vote on I don't know. I wish I did know," he said.
"All we know is, as of today, they have not agreed on concessions."
Teachers in four Lancaster County school districts recently agreed to pay freezes and other concessions in their contracts for next year.
Penn Manor teachers Monday approved a new one-year contract that freezes salaries and guarantees no teacher layoffs in 2011-12.
Teachers in Hempfield and Warwick school districts also agreed to freeze their salaries next year under previously negotiated contracts.
Those pay freezes are expected to save the three districts a total of nearly $3 million.
Lampeter-Strasburg teachers agreed last week to work fewer days next year in a move that should save the district $300,000. The L-S school board approved the concessions Monday.
Teachers at other districts in the county, including Elizabethtown, Cocalico and Conestoga Valley, have been asked to consider concessions.
In Manheim Township, Bartges said both sides will continue talking.
"We have been working with representatives from the education association since December, and we're still working on it," she said.
"We hope that we can come to some agreement."
bwallace@lnpnews.com
Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/371506#ixzz1JSQBortN
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