Last year we taught 5 of 7 periods = 71.4%
This year we teach 6 of 7 periods = 85.7%
This year we are being offered 8.3% for working 14.3% more with 50% less prep time!
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It is time for the "elders" to speak up. Maybe I can point out to them why they need to step up.
Unless you have switched your retirement plan from the defined option, your retirement benefits are based on your last 5 years salary. WAKE UP elders! The $1000.00 bonus in the proposed settlement DOES NOT COUNT toward your retirement benefit!
IF the district does this it will reduce the total amount of your benefits by $5,000 over the 5 years since it does NOT show up in the formula.
IF this becomes a standard ploy and they throw you this "bone" for the 5 years before you retire it will cost you $15,000 in your benefit formula.
If we allow this sleight of hand it will cost you ($1000.00 x 5 years = $5K) this time. PLUS $4000.00 ($1000 x 4) + ($1000 x 3) + ($1000 x 2) + ($1000 x 1) Total = $15,000
You will be "short" EVERY RETIREMENT CHECK FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
VOTE IT DOWN! IT'S YOUR FUTURE!
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15 comments:
So there is no credit toward retirement BUT we STILL pay Taxes, Medicare, and FICA on it?
THAT sucks.
I'm voting "NO" !
I will vote it down. We need to pass this on to our colleagues.
Imagine that you are entering your last 5 years of teaching (no DROP) and the district does the $1000.00 "bone-us" each of those 5 years.
You lose $35,000 in your defined benefit retirement formula:
$15,000 5 years
$10,000 4 years
$ 6,000 3 years
$ 3,000 2 years
$ 1,000 1 year
That's 35 grand!
COUNT the bonus dammit or vote it down!
Notice that administration got a full 6%. No bonus.
I just posted on the CTA web site my objection to the so called raise that we got. Mainly the smoke and mirrors of calling extra work a pay raise. Her response was:
I looked in your file and see that you were born in 1953. I'm somewhat shocked that a teacher your age would send such a ridiculously childish email. If you had taken the time to read the ratification document, you would see that we clearly state that 4.3% is an increase in salary because of the longer day. It is not advertised as a raise, nor was it even reported in the newspaper any differently than we are now advertising it. However, you will see an increase in your salary as a result of that 4.3%, regardless. Steps, or levels, must be negotiated annually. As a result of negotiations, teachers will receive a 2% raise for level movement, except in your case, you will see a 4% since you are on a middle level. We have also applied a 2% increase to the schedule itself. So for you, the raise is 6% with an added 4.3% for the extra 20 minutes planning time added to your day. You received 10% last year, and will have an increase in salary of 10.3% this year. If you think for one second that 20.3% increase in pay in two years is the norm, then I would suggest your expectations are slightly askew. With the exception of Polk and Hillsborough, negotiations have halted all over the state in anticipation of the special session and anticipated budget reductions. Our settlement is to be celebrated, not ridiculed. Your membership in CTA is immaterial when it comes to your raise. By law we have to negotiate for you anyhow. And by law, you also have a right to vote on ratification. I doubt you will have any influence on your colleagues. I know many of them, and they are very astute when it comes to money. Enjoy the increase in salary, and have a great year!
Yvonne Lyons
Chief Negotiator and Executive Director
And then I had to respond to this and said:
CTA President writes:
I looked in your file and see that you were born in 1953.
And just why do you have access to my records?
I'm somewhat shocked that a teacher your age would send such a ridiculously childish email.
My my you are resorting to a personal attach and you call me childish? Just another reason why CTA cannot be trusted. This organization has been in bed with SDHC for YEARS! You do not help the people that need it when they need representation and I know that from personal experience along with the experience of several other people including my wife. We were members and being attacked by our administrator and CTA was impotent and of NO help. I had to stand up for myself and that was the day I dropped my membership. And YES this so called raise is being reported as an 8% raise when at best it is a 4% raise and in reality most of the staff are getting a 2% raise.
Reported as 8% http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBQR0OOA4F.html
First the Times reported what SHDC and CTA told them. http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2007/07/hillsborough-te.html
Then the truth is being reported here: http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2007/07/more-about-that.html
Even the Pasco Teacher's union is reporting 8% http://www.useponline.org/
I will be working nearly 60 more hours for this so called 4% raise. And CTA didn't even address the issue that the high school teachers are having with an additional period to teach. NOT EVEN ADDRESSED!! Now that is what I call representation. Oh how about that $1000 raise for the top tier teachers that doesn't apply to their retirement. SCREWED AGAIN! I can do math just fine and you should be ashamed of yourself for your lack of ability to negotiate and CTA's continued use of smoke and mirrors when reporting teacher pay when our superintendent gets a bonus that is larger than most teacher's salaries and she doesn't even have a doctorate. And what do you say to SDHC about that? Nothing. You won't even publish to your members what you steal from your members in terms of dues and then call it a salary. Must be a big number but hardly earned why else would you want to hide it? May I quote you? "Enjoy the increase in salary" and get your head out of the sand.
Another angry underpaid teacher.
This is who is representing you!!! BEWARE!
Suzie--
Please contact me at goader@es-pressco.com
Thanks,
Goader
Hey 7:33, looks like you pushed a button but I wouldn't get too angry about "looking in the files". It could have been a honest attempt to gain an understanding of who she was addressing and an attempt to customize her response to you.
That said, I believe that CTA has a real PR problem and Yvonne & co. are running on empty trying to explain all the anomalies that have occured.
As teachers and parents we sometimes "lose it" trying to answer the millions of legitimate questions our kids can raise over things they consider important.
Our blogs have been influential in changing the way business is done. We can see the effects on the Board and the CTA. Case in point: it wasn't long after Suzie and Goader pointed out that CTA's web site was static during negotiations that CTA began posting updates.
Yvonne's email response to your questions/comments indicates that you are not the only one thinking in these terms.
We should encourage everyone to vote down the contract. This will force a "restart" and enable CTA to address our concerns IMMEDIATELY!
BTW: THANKS for sharing you emails with us.
I cannot believe the response that Anonymous 7:33 PM received from CTA. Does CTA really think they even sound like they support and represent us teachers? We need a change!
The CTA website has the ability to for users to post?
There is much precedent and background for 8.3% being called a raise. Goader makes a convincing case.
Yvonne owes somebody an apology and then a public relations blitz to clear it up.
Word on the street is that the ballots should be at the school sites any day.
The tendency is to hold your nose, close your eyes and roll over. The district is counting on the same- ole-same-ole to slide this by.
Encourage thoughtful discourse, open eyes, and clear sinuses.
Me? I've heard (had) enough: unless somebody makes a real good case - my vote is NO.
- for my "seasoned" friends (at elementary, middle, and high) who are entering their retirement benefit formula years: NO!
Elementary school teachers will vote yes. Middle school teachers will vote yes. High school teachers will vote no. Add it up. It will pass.
Major issue: there's no verifiable audit trail for the votes. So, there is absolutely no way to prevent ballot stuffing.
Mrs. Lyons is clueless. What a shame the CTA can't get someone who understands the issues. I'm sure she's a nice lady, but it's time for her to go. She should gracefully retire. Soon.
As long as the CTA is dominated by elementary and middle school factions, you'll have a weak union.
This is my last year with this district. Mrs. Elia has decided that high school teachers are expendable, so I'm outta here.
Have a great school year, folks.
On Friday in our mailroom, there was a stack of ballots sitting on the counter. The envelopes were sealed and labeled with the names of the teachers. The outside of the envelope stated that they were ballots. How convenient and easy it would have been to grab the entire stack, open them, mark them, and send them back or even to destroy them! And unfortunately, I agree that with the preponderance of middle and elementary teachers in the district not to mention secondary teachers who don't get the big picture, the new salary schedule will pass. And on another note, there is still backlash over teachers taking action to try to stop the 6/7 schedule. One of the teachers at our school was denied performance pay for the first time since applying for it and another --- one with a master's degree and a fabulous reputation with students and parents -- had dual enrollment classes folded and honors classes taken away and given to another because of angering his "superiors." The beat goes on.
I went to my first-ever CTA building representative meeting yesterday (I decided the best way to affect change is from within the system).
Now, I do not claim to be an expert on such things, but I do want to make the CTA position known on this $1000 bonus.
The CTA officers went to great lengths to point out that, according to law, the annual bonus for those on the upper levels DO INDEED COUNT TOWARD RETIREMENT.
I cannot personally verify the validity of either argument. I just wanted to pass along the CTA view that the statements on this blog are wrong.
Good news indeed. Thanks for the info.
Be advised though that the info posted on this blog was based on the CTA's response to that very question over the phone. The answer was verified by other callers shortly after a settlement was announced.
Perhaps an "official" joint SDHC/CTA response to this misunderstanding would put this matter to rest once and for all.
Again thank you for your contribution toward the truth JW.
Once again, the CTA can't communicate properly. Remember when they told me I couldn't attend a bargaining session?
Once again, it's a reminder of how pathetic this union is. Where's the direct communication with the members?
Ditch the SDHC e-mail system and communicate with us via our private e-mails, Yvonne. Stop hiding behind the 80s excuses. You collect a huge amount of dues, and it's time to upgrade your systems.
When are we getting the Teamsters?
Complain to FEA and NEA!!! Ask those parent unions how to file for the revocation of CTA's license or whatever. Ask if a petition can fold the local union, and a new one can be created. Ask if you can file a complaint with the NEA on CTA.
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