Salary Negotiations
Where are Missouri Schools Currently?
20% of districts have good negotiations
40% of districts are
hit & miss
40% of districts have NO
Negotiations. NO Plans.
Large districts
Teachers who are 2nd Income Earners
Vs.
Some districts live
on:
Other
s:
Negotiation
Models Being
Used
SINGLE PERSON
COMMITTEE
MULTI-PERSON
COMMITTEE
Passive
Negotiation
s
Aggressive
Negotiations
Formal
Informal
What is a Successful Model?
The Squeaky Wheel
Gets the Oil…
…If
Used
Correctly:
Meet
&
Confer
Missouri Law states that schools must “meet and confer” with
representatives for the employees regarding salary and benefit changes.
No ramifications for non-compliance, but you still need to push (No Teeth in
the law)
Board policy may designate which group that the district plans to discuss
these issues with.
Collective
bargaining
Some school districts have added a section to their School Board
Policy which governs provisions for “Collective Bargaining” with
employees in their district, instead of the “meet and confer” section of
Missouri Law.
In these districts, the salary negotiations process may be governed by
Board policy or the “collective Bargaining Agreement”.
Collective
bargaining
 Collective Bargaining
Agreements are unique to the district, but most
Agreements
will outline such things as:
 Timelines for proposals
 A list of items that may be bargained
 How disagreements on issues are settled (arbitration, mediation, etc.)
For the purposes of this workshop, we assume your district is a “Meet
and Confer” district. If you have additional questions on collective
bargaining contact MSTA’s Manager of Organizing, Charles Brooks - –
Cbrooks@msta.org
Get input from administration for
timing of decisions and board action
Areas of Concern Regarding Salaries
Base, Experience, 5 years, Extra Duties, etc.
Areas of Concern Regarding Benefits
Health Insurance, % Paid by Board, Number of Sick/Personal Leave
Days, Pay for Unused Leave, etc.
Preliminary Meeting with Administration
Where is the money (by fund)?
Is the district deficit spending?
If so, what is the plan to stop?
Realistic goal for future ending balances
that school board and administration
would support?
From retirement of staff?
Elimination of Staff?
Elimination of Programs
You don’t need
names, just amount
of projected savings
After Surveying Staff and Meeting with
Administration:
Analyze the
most pressing
needs
Make a prioritized
list of proposals of
salary and benefit
changes
Submit list to
administration for cost
analysis
Prior to the Board
Presentation
Final
Meeting
With
Administration
Such as local competitiveness,
inability to hire/keep quality staff,
sick/personal leave changes that will
reward staff for coming to work, etc.
If you have a concern about how the cost was calculated
for the district, this is the time to clear it up – not at the
board meeting
Sample Timeline
October/
November
Meet with
administration
to confirm
deadlines
Survey your
staff for areas of
most concern
Meet as a
committee
to prioritize
needs
Survey area
schools
that
compete
with you for
staff
Sample Timeline
/
Ask Administration
for an estimate of
funding that might be
available for salary
and benefit increases
for the following year.
Analyze survey
results and prioritize
your requests.
Obtain a cost
analysis of each
proposed change
Prior to March
School Board
Meeting:
Have final meeting
with and submit
changes to
Board/Administration
Board
of Education
Be
Prepared
Points to
Remember
Keep your staff members
informed
If you surveyed other
schools…Share the
results with them
YOU MAY NEED THEIR HELP
AGAIN IN THE FUTURE!
Even if your
district has no
money now…
In the long run, you will be
more successful if you have
the same people on the
committee year after year
BECAUSE:
Building relationships and culture takes
time
You could negotiate for
other good benefits besides
salary
It Develops a higher
degree of credibility (if
it’s the right people)
v Many CTA’s don’t even know they need help
v Low turnover on Salary Committee is very important
v IMPORTANT – If the Superintendent knows that teachers know what’s going
on with the finances, they are more likely to get paid.
.
KEEP
CALM
and
LET US
HELP YOU
Workshops
District Financial Analysis
Salary Proposal Cost
Analysis
$
Compare Salary and
Benefit Information
with other school
districts
Comparison average salaries
for:
Central Office Admin.
Building Admin.
Classroom Teacher
Mandy Henry
mhenry@msta.org
Sid Doerhoff
sdoerhoff@msta.org
Roy Kramme
rkramme@msta.org