Teachers ask for 4 percent wage increase

Fairfield teachers are proposing an approximate 4 percent wage increase in their master contract proposal for 2010-2011.

Before the Fairfield Community Education Association representatives made their initial proposal to Fairfield Community School District representatives for next year?s master contract Friday afternoon in the Administration/Curriculum/Technology Center, FCEA chief negotiator Sue Carr read a statement that the opening proposal considers the economy. She also said teaching has not gotten easier just because the economy has gotten worse.

Carr said FCEA is proposing a beginning step salary of $29,702. Proposed changes also include integrating Teacher Supplement Salary monies into the regular salary schedule, and a step movement for all returning employees. Carr reminded the district?s negotiation team they didn?t get one last year.

Carr said the exact percentage of the proposed wage increase depends on insurance benefits, but the insurance renewal meeting had not been held as of Friday afternoon.

Diane Goudy, a member of the FCEA negotiating team, provided a chart comparing Fairfield to other Southeast Conference Schools.

?If we are going to attract top personnel, we need to be competitive,? Goudy said.

For example, Fairfield?s beginning salary (Year 1-Step 1 BA 1st Year) is $28,931, which is $855.20 below average when compared with Fort Madison at $32,540; Washington at $27,700; Keokuk at $30,025 and Mount Pleasant at $29,735.

Also under wages and salaries, the teachers proposed: middle and high school employees who teach more than six class periods per day be compensated at the rate of 15 percent of the generator base; part-time employees attend all professional development sessions in full and be compensated for any time over their regular workday.

Under temporary leaves of absence, FCEA is proposing ?personal business leave? be renamed ?personal leave.?

The FCEA is proposing? ?Each employee will be granted two personal days per year. An employee planning to use a personal day shall make application ? to the Superintendent at least five school says in advance except in the case of an emergency. ? Employees who do not expend all their personal days during the school year shall be allowed to carry over one unused day to the following year for a maximum of three days in any given year.?

?This is a high priority for the membership,? said Carr, pointing out the change is proposed every year.

For the complete article, see the Monday, March 1, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.