Ypsilanti school board approves contract with teachers union that calls for unpaid days
Ypsilanti teachers have agreed to a new, two-year contract, despite what they called significant cuts to their salaries and benefits, to end a lengthy negotiation process.
The school board ratified that tentative agreement at its meeting tonight.
Ypsilanti teachers union president Kelly Powers
Kelly Powers, president of the Ypsilanti Education Association, characterized the contract as “a big ouch” for teachers’ bank accounts, but said it was a necessary “ouch.”
“We know that we are in deficit spending and we need to be a part of the solution,” she said. “We took hits to our bank accounts to get children the education they need.”
Powers said among the concessions were two days of unpaid work and four other days when union members will pay their daily wages back to the district. There were also unspecified cuts to union members’ insurance, which Powers did not elaborate on.
A hard copy of the tentative agreement was not available at tonight's meeting.
Board president David Bates told teachers the contract wasn't what they deserved, but cuts are becoming a reality for everyone in the district.
“It represents a really great effort by the teachers union and our administrative group to realize the savings that we need to realize, to find a balanced budget,” he said. “They deserve better, but it’s the reality that we have to deal with.”
Superintendent Dedrick Martin said the negotiations were long and intense, but showed both the administration and the teachers’ commitment to doing what's best for the students.
“There are no winners in these negotiations. The administration isn’t winners, the teachers aren’t winners, but the students are a winner,” he said. “It shows that as adults, we can come together and make a decision that we have to make.”
The length of the contract is from Sept. 7 until Sept. 4, 2012.
Powers said the teachers union will be paying even closer attention to the way board members spend the district's money in lieu of the new contract.
“The way they spend their money is not always in the best interests of kids, so we’ll be watching that closely,” she said. “We’re willing to take the hits as everyone is in the community and the state, but we want to make sure they’re doing the right things for kids.”
Each member of the school board complimented the teachers union for its willingness to take cuts for the betterment of students. Vice President Linda Horne said she realized the difficulties of negotiating in current times.
“I’m confident that this is a pretty good contract, and we’ll be doing more to work together for our children to be more successful,” she said.
A copy of the tentative agreement should be available on the district’s website in the coming days, district officials said after the meeting.
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.
Comments
Maria Cotera
Sun, Nov 7, 2010 : 9:18 a.m.
Dear friends of Ypsi schools, first of all, kudos to those who support our schools and teachers. In this age of cutbacks and charters, you are keeping the dream of public schools alive. The time and energy you put into your child's education is so important, but as some of you noted, we may need to do more to take our schools back. That is why some of us have come together to form the Ypsilanti Public School Alliance, a group of parents, community members, and people just like you who feel that we have the resources (us!) to make Ypsi schools the best schools in Southeastern Michigan, even in the face of budget cuts. We want to re-ignite interest in our public schools among the broader community (not just educational professionals or parents of school age children). We see this as vital to the survival of our schools, and to the survival of our communities, since the health of our schools is the most telling indicator of the health of our community. Failing schools=failing communities! So please do get involved, and remember, the schools belong to the people not the administrators!
ironyinthesky2
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 12:10 p.m.
Basic Bob - OK, I give, what is rocket surgery? Sounds like a profession that would pay a lot. Stun - way to give up on the district. I have two kids in Ypsi schools and they love it. I really appreciate the effort their teachers put in and I wish they could be paid more. I, for one, will not give up and plan to keep involved and try to make things better. The first step is to change the way we fund education in Michigan. I don't have the answer, but it needs to change.
Heather
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:05 a.m.
I have a question for those of you who think that teachers are overpaid and that they work such great hours: If you really believe that teachers have such a great job, why didn't YOU become a teacher?
jkselberg
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 3:39 p.m.
Why the pile-on on Ypsilanti teachers? My own kids attended Ann Arbor schools K-12, and my grandson is now at Adams in Ypsilanti. I visit this school often, and I'm most favorably impressed with the general teacher attitude I see there. I think we should be supporting teachers now more than ever. We need to do our jobs with our kids and help them do theirs. I couldn't be a teacher for twice the money they're getting. There has never been anything easy about it, if it's done with dedication. Most of the time, it is.
clownfish
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 1:31 p.m.
Let's see, teachers take a pay cut, and the Whiners still Whine about them! By all means, let us send out bids for the instruction of our next generation, low bidder gets the job. I am sure lowest price ensures highest quality.
Jay Thomas
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 1:08 p.m.
I don't know about Ypsi but going to school in A2 I remember the teachers leaving when I got picked up... Even with correcting homework there is a whole lotta fantasy going on with the "80 hour weeks." LOL President Franklin Roosevelt was right when he warned us against unions for government workers. "A strike of public employees is unthinkable and intolerable" -- F.D.R.
Basic Bob
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 12:24 p.m.
"college educated provider of critical services" You make it sound like rocket surgery. But let's face it, it's not the salary that's at issue, it's the total compensation including gold-plated health benefits and retirement.
larry kramer
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 11:26 a.m.
dear cinnabar and buddies. I suggest that you get your masters degree and get one of those hi paying teaching jobs in Ypsi. I doubt you'd last a week, like the rest of you armchair teachers.
Allison
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 11:21 a.m.
How much are the non teachers making, the VP and Principal board members? Are they taking the same pay cut? They should be it should be tied in what ever the teachers have to cut everyone should be cut.
jns131
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 9:48 a.m.
Hey, maybe you should take a look at Ann Arbors teacher contract. They are taking a 2% hit with that money coming right back at em in 5 years. So stop balking and take a look at what Ann Arbor is doing. Teachers there make $75,000 a year. Might want to join teir union? The transportation director made over $100,000 per year. Now WISD is upping the ante for directors and supervisors and they are not even unionized workers. So for those complain? I'd love to have your job. Take what you can get and run with it. Willow Run is still in the hole from their superintendents stunt. Good luck. Glad I am not in the thick of things.
dlb
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 9:24 a.m.
I am fed up with all who complain about teachers being overpaid. An average of $40,000 for a college educated provider of critical services. That is being overpaid? Isn't the median household income in this country $50,000? Yes, some teachers, with a 2 year Masters degree specialization and 25 years of experience in some districts make more than that, but that is hardly being overpaid. In many districts in this State, teachers' wages have not increased in 10 years, factoring in the cost of living increases in that time, that is equivalent to a 20% loss in spending power. Also, teachers have been giving up many benefits over that same decade, as well as the increase in contribution to our pension which equals about another 3% cut in pay. Teachers are not being overpaid (and no, I am not a teacher).
Patti Smith
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 9:03 a.m.
As a special ed teacher, I "push in" to classes with my students. The other week, they were working on a nonfiction book about child labor (i.e. pre major labor victories, 1910s, 20s and so on). Since my caseload has kids with either vision issues, learning disabilities or both, I read the book to them. I wish everyone could read the book because it will break your heart to see what it was like when only "certain" kids got to go to school. There was one story and pictures of a boy who was about 10 and his entire job was to sit in a coal mine, in the pitch black, waiting for the coal train to come. When he heard it, he opened the door for it, then he closed the door and sat back down in total darkness. For 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Is that what we want to get back to? Upper crust kids in private schools and the rest out working? (Or not working, as the economy is so awful) I realize that it bugs some of the Teabaggers to know that a female like me is making a good wage with good benefits, cuz that's what this really is all about, isn't it? There is that segment of the population who wants us all to make Walmart wages (as someone else on here said) with no job security and no benefits. And the kicker is that a portion of that segment are the ones who make crappy wages and have crappy benefits!! Shouldn't they WANT us to band together to try to improve employment situations for ALL of us? I hate it that charter teachers make 1/2 of what I do with no job protections...I *want* them to have it like we do. I just will never understead this misplaced anger and jealousy at teachers and teachers' unions. Start hating the CEOs and corporations and the top.1% who pay us less money so that they can make.3% more in their stock options. And for those who think they will be in that higher income bracket one day? Newsflash friends--you won't. Neither will I. Act accordingly. PS: Teachers don't always get paid for extra duties. I certainly don't get paid extra for being a cheerleading coach but it's a blast so who cares?
cinnabar7071
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8:58 a.m.
"and the pay is on par with Wal-Mart." Stop it Milton now I have to clean my computor again. On par with walmart pay thats a good one. I'm going down to walmart and get me one of those good paying jobs with the summer off.
ypsituckian
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8:53 a.m.
@Clare, well said! We, as parents, should step up and show more support for the people who educate and care for our children all day. That said, there is no reason why a teacher should have to spend money out of his/her own pocket to provide for our kids. That should fall to us. We seriously need to step up.
clownfish
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8:35 a.m.
Let's see, we want fewer union members and lower taxes. This will lead to economic growth for all n the USA. hmmm, taxes at lowest levels in 60 years. Private sector unionization peaked at 30 percent in 1958, and was still 20.8 percent as late as 1980. Union membership in the United States fell another 10 percent in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the number of workers belonging to unions falling 771,000 to 15.3 million. So, it is the 5% of citizens that belong to unions that are to blame for the economic downturn and the increase in govt payments. Even though public unions have taken pay and benefit cuts. Even though auto unions have taken massive pay cuts (up to 1/2 for new hires, 50%!)it is the unions that are holding Fiat and GM back. So, again, if we cut taxes and reduce union membership, all boats should rise equally, right? What is the reality? From The Washington Times, not a liberal MSM rag by any means: The nearly 80 percent of Americans who rely mostly on hourly wages barely maintained their purchasing power, according to the Labor Department. Raises have been meager, averaging about 2.7 percent in the past year -- a tad above the 2.5 percent inflation rate. Incomes are up a more robust 7.5 percent when bonuses, stock compensation, commissions and other wage supplements are added, according to the Commerce Department.Most of the boost, though, is felt by those at the top end of the income scale. "A free-market, democratic society is ill-served by an economy in which the rewards are distributed in a way" that leaves out the majority- Alan Greenspan
Clare Kinberg
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8:30 a.m.
I have two kids in Ypsi schools, and I'm there everyday. I KNOW the teachers come early, stay late, and show remarkable caring for the kids. The article about pay cuts doesn't mention that class sizes have gone up about 25% in the last two years. But the main thing I want to say to Ypsi parents who may be reading this: every teacher spends a fair amount of there own money buying things for their classes. Let's tell the teachers of our kids we know about the pay cuts, and ask them to let us contribute some of the stuff they usually buy. It's all a lot of small stuff, but it adds up.
L'chaim
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8:14 a.m.
I'm having an epiphany...STUN is right. The problem is government and liberalism. We need a more free private sector and less schools. If bosses were free to create jobs kids could work in state-of-the-art factories producing 10 times as much stuff (capacity) and 100 times more things (variety). But unions force workers into only starving themselves of this kind of good life by hamstringing bosses. I can see it now, but I can't for the life of me find any coherent logic to it. But the idea of logic is a communistic trick to confuse me. Thank god there are no unions in Banks because what would do if that industry ever failed?
clownfish
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8:07 a.m.
Maybe some more comments from the Teababies about the evils of unions and the "high taxes" they create will be forthcoming... From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: * While federal tax burdens have risen very slightly from their nadir in 2003 and 2004, most income groups paid a smaller share of their income in federal taxes in 2006 than in every year prior to 2003 for which data are available, according to Congressional Budget Office data that cover the period 1979 to 2006.[1] * Tax burdens on middle-income households remain near their lowest levels in decades. Households in the middle fifth of the income spectrum paid an average of 14.2 percent of their income in federal taxes in 2006. By contrast, since 1979, the average federal tax burden on these households has equaled 17 percent of income.[2] * Even in 2000, before the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, households in the middle fifth of the income scale paid a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than in any year since 1979, and tax burdens for most income groups were lower than their average for the 1979-1999 period. This while fighting two wars. The Boomers WWII is paying down the debt. MAN UP Reagan ran up debt, Bush ran up debt, Obama ran up debt. YOU ran up debt. Now pay it down for your kids. Suck it up. The unions are.
Aaron
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 8 a.m.
Personally I don't think teacher are over paid. It also seems like folks want EVERYONE to make a Wallmart wage. All I seem to hear on the news, talk backs, etc. is how teachers, public service workers, auto workers etc. make too much money. Well IMO, folks should earn a living wage and there should be nothing wrong with it.
clownfish
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 7:54 a.m.
That's right STUN, turn off the lights, run those darn public employees out of the country and return to the good 'Ol days when only the Gentry were schooled! I am sure all of the problems in Ypsi are due to unions, not social or economic reasons. Yep, the whole reason our children's are not learning is the ability of some people to collectively bargain for wages and benefits. Public schools are clearly a failure, just look at how the US has compared to other countries since the inception of the concept of educating all of our kids came to fruition! Simple solutions for simple minds. So, STUN, how much of a pay cut have you taken in the last few years? I am not aware of a single union that has collective bargaining that HAS NOT taken pay cuts, increased their share of insurance premiums etc. Are you, Mr. Stun, willing to pay higher taxes in order to cut our deficits, or is it just other people that you would like to see pay our way out? What sacrifices are you making for your country, state, city?
stunhsif
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 7:48 a.m.
The parking lot is 100% empty at 5 a.m. Mr. Milton, ain't nobody showing up at that hour. Class ends at 3 p.m. ( early compared to the private sector which is 5 p.m. or later). Athletics till 6 p.m. which they get paid extra for coaching. Weekends and nights grading papers. So what, we all do work at home for our jobs. And your point was?
Milton Shift
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 7:16 a.m.
The teachers I knew got to school to get things organized for classes at 5am. Classes ended at 3pm, at which point it was grading homework and helping out with student clubs and athletics till 6pm. They also spent a lot of their weekends grading homework, once again. The hours are long, the kids can be big "stinkers," and the pay is on par with Wal-Mart. Choosing to become a teacher is a SACRIFICE. Don't know why you spit coffee on your computer. Perhaps you should get yourself checked out.
cinnabar7071
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 6:58 a.m.
"Given that they tend to work 80 hours or more a week" Thanks I just spit coffee all over my computor.
DagnyJ
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 6:50 a.m.
I'm sure the teachers will receive step raises, and other salary increases.
Grant
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 5:47 a.m.
Kelly Powers, it is about time you listened to the teachers in your union! You act like YOU have made a big sacrifice. If you want the district to avoid shutting down, you better start thinking of ways to help.
Milton Shift
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 4:30 a.m.
It appears the average salary in the US is about $40,000 annually. Given that they tend to work 80 hours or more a week, that comes to about 10 bucks an hour. I'm not even factoring in the cost of tuition for the 4-5 years of classes it took to get their education degree! Overpaid?!
Milton Shift
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 3:37 a.m.
I'd like to know what the *median* salary is for these teachers. They work incredibly long hours, and all people can do is whine pathetically about how "overpaid" or "ungrateful" they are? Why can't we look at those who are ACTUALLY overpaid, like executives, administrators, major shareholders...? No... that'd make sense.
gild
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 : 11:59 p.m.
A2.com: It would be interesting to see the over/under on total cost to the district, including benefits. Will the total cost be going up or down?
stunhsif
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 : 10:09 p.m.
Ms. Powers, Quite honestly you should be ecstatic that you even have a job. If your school district were a for profit business you would have been unemployed 20 years ago. Time to turn out the lights on this school district! Good Day No Luck Needed