Dearborn School Board Ratifies Teacher Contract

After two long years of debate, the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education voted to accept a proposed collective bargaining agreement for its teachers at its regular Monday night meeting.

The board ratified the agreement before making comments in support of many of the agreement’s provisions. All of the board members, except for Trustee Hussein Berry, voted in favor of the contract.

Berry abstained from voting because his wife is a district employee.

School Board President James Schoolmaster was happy to have a new contract in place, but said it can be uncomfortable negotiating with employees.

“I’m happy that we have a new contract,” he said. “When you’re negotiating with teachers, you’re negotiating with the people who have the responsibility of educating children.”

Chris Sipperley, the president of the 1,200-member DFT, said she was pleased with the ratification and stressed that her union still has work to do.

“It’s fantastic to finally complete the contract process,” she said. “Now, we have to get everyone enrolled in the new health care plan–that’s the next step.”

Union members to accept the agreement by a margin of 877-84.

The contract will run from 2009 to 2013; the teachers worked under temporary contract extensions until the agreement was reached.

Agreeing on a contract essentially means the district will avoid having to cut $22 million from its 2011-12 budget and avoid having to lay off 300 employees, according to district estimates. The district, however, will still have to pare $3 million from its general fund budget if Gov. Rick Snyder’s state budget is approved.

A number of new provisions were put into place in the contract, including an increase in the “step system” that grants pay increases based on years of experience. Overall, most teachers will also accept a pay cut of 6 to 7 percent over the life of the contract.

Also, teachers will pay $218 in monthly premiums to take part in the district’s Preferred Provider Organization health plan.

The biggest change for the district and its teachers is the creation of a new health care trust, which will be managed by the local union and the Michigan AFL-CIO public employee trust. The district will provide a fixed amount of $997 per employee, per month, to the union, which will then manage its own health care program.

Board members praised the health care trust as a way to fix costs for the district and let union members decide how to cover their membership.

“I would like to congratulate the union,” said Trustee Mary Lane. “The health care agreement is groundbreaking.”