Contents of this issue:
- DPS, DFT disagree on compulsory dues, legal fees
- West Michigan schools contract for substitute teachers
- Garden City school board recall effort fails
- Madison contracts stall over health insurance
- Pellston teachers choose less expensive union health plan
DPS, DFT DISAGREE ON COMPULSORY DUES, LEGAL FEES
DETROIT — The Detroit Federation of Teachers and the Detroit
Public Schools are arguing over the district's late payment of
$780,000 in compulsory union dues, according to the South Bend
Tribune. The district collects the money from teacher's
paychecks, then forwards it to the union.
DPS claims that the union owes it $1 million in reimbursements
for legal fees, while DFT maintains it owes the district only
$550,000, according to the Tribune.
DFT President Janna Garrison was escorted out of DPS
administrative office by police after meeting with DPS officials.
Garrison refused to leave the building until she could talk with
the district's general counsel. Sometime after meeting with the
district's attorney, the police were called, according to the
Tribune.
SOURCE:
South Bend Tribune, "Detroit teachers union leader raises
ruckus," Nov. 11, 2006
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061111/News01/61111025
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS fights union to keep at-risk
program," Nov. 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8059
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS teachers union strikes,"
Aug. 29, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7882
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit teachers union wants more
money," June 27, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7798
WEST MICHIGAN SCHOOLS CONTRACT FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Many west Michigan school districts are
following the lead of Portage and Comstock schools by signing
competitive contracts for substitute teachers, according to The
Kalamazoo Gazette.
This year, seven Ottawa County districts hired Professional
Educational Services Group to oversee their substitute teacher
services. The move will cut back the amount the districts are
required to pay into the school employee pension system, The
Gazette reported.
Portage Public Schools has been working with another private
company, WSI Educational Staffing, for three years and has saved
at least $28,000 each year.
"It's been excellent for us," Portage Human Resources Manager
Vickie Herzberg told The Gazette. "We've not had any problems or
concerns."
Currently, districts must contribute an amount equal to 17
percent of a substitute's pay into the state retirement system,
according to The Gazette. Privatization relieves the district of
this burden and also cuts down on administrative costs.
Coopersville Public Schools Superintendent Kevin O'Neill would
recommend contracting for substitute teachers to any district.
"They've been good to work with," O'Neill told The Gazette about
PESG. "It's been kind of a seamless operation. We haven't seen
any negatives to it yet."
SOURCE:
Kalamazoo Gazette, "Privatization of substitute teachers grows
throughout western Michigan," Nov. 15, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-20/116360784040410.xml&coll=7
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Houghton Lake to privatize substitute
teachers," July 25, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7844
Michigan Education Digest, "Substitute teachers privatized in
Grand Rapids," May 9, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7701
Michigan Education Digest, "Privatized subs can save schools
money," April 11, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7677
GARDEN CITY SCHOOL BOARD RECALL EFFORT FAILS
GARDEN CITY, Mich. — Residents attempting to recall five members
of the Garden City school board were unable to gather enough
signatures to put the issue before voters, according to The
Detroit News.
The group was led by Rick Smith, a former custodian for the
district, who was not hired by a private company when the
district contracted out maintenance services earlier this year.
The group sought to recall the five school board members who
voted to save $2.1 million over three years by signing
competitive contracts for food and custodial services, according
to The News.
"We're going to protest it," Smith told The News. "We're not
going to give up. We don't have anything to lose."
The school board stands behind its decision.
"Hopefully this will be the end of it and we don't have to worry
about an additional expense to the school district for the cost
of running a recall election," school board member Patrick
McNally told The News.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Garden City school recall movement falters,"
Nov. 16, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006611160464
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Competitive contracting getting more
popular," Aug. 8, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7866
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Schools continue to
privatize," July 26, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7827
MADISON CONTRACTS STALL OVER HEALTH INSURANCE
ADRIAN, Mich. — Madison School District contract negotiations are
at a standstill as the district and teachers union disagree over
healthcare and pay increases, according to The Adrian Daily
Telegram.
District business manager Jennifer Morin gave a presentation on
the district's and union's proposals for salary increases and
health insurance plans. The district's current proposal would
allow for teachers to choose between the two plans, Supercare I
and Choices II, provided through the Michigan Education Special
Services Association. Teachers who pick the more costly Supercare
could pay the difference between the two plans. The district's
proposal would cost $200,000 less than the union's, The Telegram
reported. MESSA is a third-party health insurance administrator
affiliated with the Michigan Education Association school
employees union.
The union filed an unfair labor practice charge against the
district because it feels the presentation was inaccurate, and
demanded an opportunity to give a presentation of its own,
according to The Telegram.
"The bargaining team agrees that the presentation was not
completely accurate," Jim Berryman, a Michigan Education
Association UniServ director told The Telegram.
The district stands behind its presentation and proposal.
"I have every reason to believe that would be another frivolous
ULP on their behalf," Superintendent Jim Hartley told The
Telegram.
In addition to health insurance, the union and district also are
arguing over salary increases for teachers. The district has
proposed a 1.5 percent pay raise, while the union is suggesting a
4.25 percent pay increase. Hartley thinks that endorsing the
union's plan would mean financial trouble for the district,
according to The Telegram.
"When you run a deficit because of normal operational expenses,
it's going to snowball and compound down the road," Hartley told
The Telegram. "This is about creating a structural deficit that
could force us into the same situation some other districts in
the county have found themselves in."
SOURCE:
The Adrian Daily Telegram, "No end in sight," Nov. 15, 2006
https://www.lenconnect.com/articles/2006/11/15/news/news01.txt
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "St. Johns board declares impasse,"
Sept. 19, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7934
Michigan Education Report, "Blue Cross and MESSA," Sept. 6, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7907
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "MESSA Reference Page,"
March 10, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7643
PELLSTON TEACHERS CHOOSE LESS EXPENSIVE UNION HEALTH PLAN
PELLSTON, Mich. — Pellston Public School teachers have opted for
a more cost-effective health plan that will save the district 3
to 8 percent on insurance, according to the Petoskey News-Review.
Teachers agreed to a two-year contract and will switch health
insurance plans from MESSA Supercare I to Choices II. Both plans
are sold by the Michigan Education Special Services Association,
a third-party health insurance administrator affiliated with the
Michigan Education Association school employees union. The
contract also includes a 2 percent pay increase for teachers.
SOURCE:
Petoskey News-Review, "Pellston teachers getting raises,"
Nov. 16, 2006
https://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2006/11/16/news/local_regional/news04.txt
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Fruitport teachers flock to less
expensive MESSA," Sept. 12, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7926
Michigan Education Digest, "Pinckney teachers voluntarily abandon
MESSA," Feb. 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7585
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of 150,000 published by the Mackinac Center
for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
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