B-REA: We Have Made Many Concessions

The responded to a statement from the Board of Education Tuesday concerning negotiations, saying the board has rejected two offers from the association that could save millions of dollars.

The contract between the union and the Board of Education expires at the end of June.

Click here to read the Board of Education's written statement presented at Tuesday's meeting.

According to a statement from the B-REA, the board had originally extended its deadline for negotiations from May 15 to May 25.

According to the statement, the B-REA had made two offers for those deadlines, both of which included concessions in the health care plan with an agreement to switch to the state plan, as well as an initial proposed six-month wage freeze, followed by a proposed full-year salary freeze.

“However, from the onset the process was slowed by the board’s choice to move away from the win-win style employed over the past six years, and instead bring in a $160-per-hour lawyer to work and speak on their behalf,” the statement said. “Both sides did exchange proposals, the board presenting a 20-page, 112-item list of demands including everything from adding significant time to the work day, to cutting tuition reimbursement in half.”

According to the statement, the B-REA agreed to the switch in health care providers, but proposed an intentionally unreasonable salary guide that would have union members move to the next step, and would add $2,500 to each step.

“Our initial response to them was equally unreasonable, our intent to make it clear that we weren’t being fooled by their games and would not be bullied by their tactics,” Joe Krenetsky, negotiations chairman for the union, said in the statement.

“From there, we then made what I call the first real proposal, one that was fair and reasonable. It seemed like a no-brainer. Health care concessions. Wage freeze. What more could one ask for?”

The B-REA, the release said, presented a true counterproposal on April 19, in which the members agreed to switch health-care providers. The union also proposed a six-month wage freeze, and at that time, each member would move to the next step for an increase of 1.4 percent.

The board of education requested a meeting on June 17, the statement said, and the mood was optimistic for a final decision. But the Board of Education presented a proposal for further health care concessions, and an offer for a 0 percent raise in the first year and a 1 percent raise in the second and third years, according to the statement.

In a counteroffer the B-REA offered to switch health care providers, accept a one-year salary freeze, and then have increases of 3.62 percent and 3.72 percent, with the condition that the board agree by June 21, the statement said.

This offer was rejected, the statement said.

“It seems that no matter what we offered, the board and their team had no interest in settling,” said Dave Doheny, B-REA high school representative to the negotiations team, as presented in the statement.

“They first presented a 20-page, 112-item list of demands, but the big things were the switch to the state health benefits, and an offer of a 1 percent raise for the year. But when we responded with almost the same thing well ahead of their deadline, they came back with something completely different and insulting. Still, we offered more, and still they said ‘no.' What more could they want? Last year we gave back close to $2 million in concessions when we didn’t have to. And this year a 0 percent isn’t enough.”

According to the statement, because of the rejection of the proposals, the B-REA has declared an impasse, which means there were irreconcilable differences and a mediator must be brought in. According to the release, because this process takes time, there is a good chance the school year will begin in September without a final contract in place.

“Strange that health care savings was their pre-eminent consideration,” Steve Beatty, president of the BREA, said in the statement. “They lamented in every budget presentation about increasing health care costs and the hopes of negotiating savings through concessions to be enacted by July 1.

"They said time and again if there was to be a raise above the budgeted 0 percent, it would have to come from somewhere. Well, we found it. If you combine the health care concessions, the savings from retiree-new hire salary differential [breakage] and other monies from various sources, it’s into the millions—more than enough to settle reasonably and maintain an overall 0 percent increase as passed by the voters overwhelmingly.”

“We thought we made them an offer they couldn’t refuse if it was truly about the kids," he added in the statement. "I guess we were being naïve. This board feels a sense of empowerment to really go after and break the union despite the negative impact on the kids and the classrooms.”