Freehold Boro Teachers Agree to 0% Wage Increase

[dfx]

5/13/10

With a negotiation played out against a backdrop of state politics, the teachers of the Freehold Borough School District have agreed to a 0% wage increase for the 2010-2011 school year. The new contract was unanimously approved by all parties at Monday's Board of Education meeting.

"The Board of Education is very happy to have this issue behind us and we feel the solution is a win for the taxpayers," stated Board of Education President Annette Jordan. Jordan, who along with Mike Lichardi and Jim Keelan headed the Board's negotiating team, had been negotiating with the Freehold Borough Education Association (FBEA) since their contract expired in June '09.

The new 2-year contract calls for a 3% retroactive raise for the 2009-2010 school year with a 0% wage increase for the duration of 2010-2011 year, making the Freehold Borough School District the lowest negotiated contract out of the 54 districts in Monmouth County. In addition the FBEA agreed to transfer it's members into the state healthcare program, which saved the district an additional $325,000 dollars in 2009-2010.

[Mike Rosseel]

its about time!

[BrianSullivan]

May 13, 2010 18:51:50 GMT -5 dfx said:

5/13/10

With a negotiation played out against a backdrop of state politics, the teachers of the Freehold Borough School District have agreed to a 0% wage increase for the 2010-2011 school year. The new contract was unanimously approved by all parties at Monday's Board of Education meeting.

"The Board of Education is very happy to have this issue behind us and we feel the solution is a win for the taxpayers," stated Board of Education President Annette Jordan. Jordan, who along with Mike Lichardi and Jim Keelan headed the Board's negotiating team, had been negotiating with the Freehold Borough Education Association (FBEA) since their contract expired in June '09.

The new 2-year contract calls for a 3% retroactive raise for the 2009-2010 school year with a 0% wage increase for the duration of 2010-2011 year, making the Freehold Borough School District the lowest negotiated contract out of the 54 districts in Monmouth County. In addition the FBEA agreed to transfer it's members into the state healthcare program, which saved the district an additional $325,000 dollars in 2009-2010.

Dan, thank you for posting this.

[BrianSullivan]

With the council meeting tonight, this is a nice topic to bring back up. First, I am on record here on the site as saying that all public employees must take a wage freeze, pay into their health care benefits, and we must raise the retirement age for all public employees.

When I look at the aspects of this contract, I think it is realistically fair considering the times we are in. Based on my above beliefs, it does have its disappointments for me.

The biggest disappointment being that the union is not paying the 1.5 percent into their health care benefits. With that lacking, I believe they should have received an even lower raise, if any.

Even with the money savings in the school joining the state program, I still believe that all employees must make this concession. For too many years health care benefits went up quite a bit. Sometimes 10, 15, 20, percent or more. The unions, especially, sat on their rear ends and did not care one bit as long as the tax payers were footing the bill. Even with the immediate savings, those costs are likely to go up.

Chances are, this health care contribution will be mandated by the state. I have bad news for the education community and the unions- it is not Christy's fault. This mandate will be the right thing and the failure of local boards in doing it is just why the state must. But then again, it is clear that the NJEA and other unions declared war on tax payers and children long ago.

The two good things I see in this contract are the savings from joining the state and the fact that it is only a two year contract. While a short contract is a bit of a gamble for both sides, it is also the right thing for both sides in these uncertain economic times.

[BrianSullivan]

PS- I mentioned raising the retirement age as something that must be done. I did not bring that back up because I do not believe that can be negotiated in a contract, but I could be wrong.