Pinellas union officials cry foul

The Pinellas teachers union has accused district officials of unfair labor practices hours after receiving a notice of the district’s intent to adjust teachers’ paychecks to reflect a decline in property values.

The decline affects the salary supplement generated by a tax referendum based on the value of .5 mills levied each year on taxable property in Pinellas County. Beginning this month, 11.5- and 12-month instructional personnel will receive about $12 less per paycheck, or $290 plus benefits -- for a total of $341 -- for 2009-10. Ten-month employees will feel the pinch beginning in August.

“Unfortunately, there is no money remaining in referendum balances this year to offset this loss,” the district’s chief negotiator wrote in the notice that was sent to school principals and district officials earlier today.

PCTA posted on its Web site that “such action is a unilateral decision made outside the bargaining process and constitutes an unfair labor practice.”

Insisting that teacher salaries, including the supplement generated by referendum dollars, are listed on the salary schedule found in Appendix A of the agreement between the School Board and the teachers union, their argument continues:

“ … that salary cannot be adjusted until negotiations are completed and a mutual salary schedule has been reached or a salary schedule has been imposed through the bargaining impasse procedures found in Chapter 447, Florida Statutes.”

The post concludes: “PCTA will be pursuing all courses of action to remedy this unilateral decision made by (Ron) Stone on behalf of the School Board.

Asked how far the union is willing to take its argument, union president Kim Black told the Gradebook: “As far as we need to. As far as necessary to maintain the protection of our salary schedule.”

To view previous Times coverage of the situation, click here.

Donna Winchester, Pinellas education reporter

Comments

[sue]

Maybe we should hold the parents accountable for the black students, ever think of that. Why is always someone elses responsibility to raise the black children? Maybe if the parents that produced them stayed out of jail long enough?

[St Pete]

Because of the gross mismanagement of volunteered tax $, voters will never agree to the referendum again. I teach, and I won't vote for it again! After you raise the millage, you need to get creative. Teachers are tired of spending their own money on supplies, lesson materials and snacks not to mention the numerous after hours "family nights" and conferences. Spend the money the way the people voted for it to be spent. If a school has more bodies in the office in admin and coaches positions than are in the actual classrooms, there is a HUGE problem!

[terminator]

2:10
not just that but what about the .25 mills the legislature mandated on the districts?
Pinellas share should be somewhere in the $20 million range. I don't have the final budget docs with me right now but why has no one brought that up?
What happened to all the stimulus money? Have you guys talked to the people up at DOE (as you can't trust the Pinellas district our your own union)?
What about the Pinellas legislators? The R's would be more favorable to the teachers than the D's who just go along with whatever the district wants to do. At least the R legislators will put the screws to your incompetent board.
Sounds like you guys need new union leadership over there. What happened to Marshall Ogeltree? I thought he was running the show now instead of this woman Black?

Problem is, when you let teachers or union leaders (who used to be teachers) participate in bargaining they get taken to the woodshed because they don't know what they're doing.

You need termie over there but my work is spread thin this time of year!

[teacher and taxpayer]

First, this is not over yet.
What about the .25 mill increase which probably will be voted in favor of? Not to mention all the schools that have closed and the addition of an extra period in secondary, all for cost savings. Still, the teachers salaries are being negatively impacted!?!

Sure, the referendum money is unstable, and is really only a temporary fix. But we will have it for at least another four years. The district should have had better foresight and a plan in place to protect the salary schedule when this decreases occur.

[Teachers with Morals]

We (teachers) are mostly at peace with the absent raises and decrease in pay. In the corporate world, you don't deal with "at-risk" youths and their negative outputs as a result of socially & academically undereducated families. I can't even say parents because many of these kids don't have neither parents nor adult guidance at home. Plus, you're not expected to be the jack of all trades: teacher, mentor, tutor, therapist, social worker,and security guard. All the while, you need to save some energy for your own personal life. We don't get bathroom as often as needed, and we definitely don't have smoke breaks (I'm a nonsmoker). Our "paid" lunch break is long enough for us to inhale our meals. In addition, a lot of classrooms don't have 4 complete walls or the 4th wall is a paper thin removable wall so the noise level is unbearable for kids and teachers with ADD/ADHD. A teacher, who is a former engineer, never expected to invest late hours of the night creating lessons, grading papers (ones on time & late), contacting families, creating make-up work, and much more. We invest countless hours every week to ensure kids are leaving with valuable knowledge, self-confidence, self-discipline and self-motivation.
We're not complaining. We just want the facts to be known. So PLEASE STOP comparing our duties to those of non-instructional positions in society.

What we don't appreciate is that the school districts (local & national) have too many overpaid personnel. Look at GM Motors, they have cut a significant amount of unnecessary jobs including lots of management positions. Teachers are waiting for district to do the same...cut the useless fat.

Teachers in Japan clean their own rooms, and I believe their students have to pitch in too. We shouldn't need more than 4 custodians per school. At Lealman Intermediate, there's almost always a staff member monitoring each hallway so kids aren't vandalizing the school, esp bathrooms. They use these daily cards for each student to keep track of their academic conduct & behavior. The card has to be signed by a parent or guardian & returned the next day. This is a very effective system for a high percentage of kids.

We don't mind the endless hours. We do what we do because we love teaching. We just want districts to stop hiring expensive personnel like: APs, principals, assistant superintendents, and other expensive positions. Double dippers should only be able to return to teaching if they're paid 1st year teacher's pay...just like the military.

PLEASE stop degrading us. Our morale is already severely battered. You keep disrespecting us but wonder why so many kids nationally are dropping out or entering college lacking basic skills. Think HARD before you make inconsiderate comments.

[diann]

Alice
You are correct on some points but missed the mark on others. Teachers are not on a 12 month contract. During the school year we do not get our full pay because some is withheld for the summer months. Thankfully, we earn enough to be able to be in this situation as many of us have advanced degrees. It all comes down to our hourly wage. If you subtract the holidays and summers-that's what you have is an hourly wage, just like everybody else that is employed.

[idiots!!!]

Haha, Alice. You are the bookkeeper and have NO idea how the year-round pay schedule works? NO idea. Interesting. Yes, I know you don't do payroll but for you to work in your office and not understand how this works means you obviously are not worth anywhere near 35K. So shut it.

[Susie]

Alice
You sound pretty frustrated but your grammar is pretty horrendous for a secretary.

[Alice]

This is for the person calling themself priorities...This is coming from a so called "High School Grad Secretary"...I work at an elementary school and I am in my 12th year. Maybe you should take advantage of the fact that you can see any school board employees pay since it is public information. I would love to make $55,000 a year and I would be even happier to make to $95,000 a year. I would love to make what you teachers make! My title is Secretary/Bookkeeper and I can guarantee you that you are very misinformed about what your co-workers/peers make! I truly think that it is awful that teachers aren't paid more then they are but I have to tell you, the whining and the complaining about being underpaid is getting very old. Everyone knows that you all are underpaid and so are alot of other people. Get over it already. You knew what you were getting into when you decided to go to college to be a teacher. You knew what your pay would be when you became a teacher. Most teachers are on 12 month pay. Explain that to the tax payers. You work for 10 months...technically 9 mos when you subtract Thanksgiving Week, Winter Break and Spring Break. You work 7.5 hours a day and even get paid for your lunch break. How many people can even say that! The district is telling you that you are going to loose $341. You still have a job. The unemployment rate is higher in Florida then anywhere else in the nation. We closed 7 schools. There aare still teachers without jobs. Why do teacher think that they are the only ones that should not be affected by the seriousness of the economy and budget situation. Why can't you just be thankful for what you have. We all knew that the referendum money was only for as long as the taxpayers agreed to pay it. We all also knew that property values go up and down. Obviously if the value drops you would get less. You wouldn't be compalining if the values increased and you got more would you? Why should the school district have to pick up the added expense? It was kind of them to do it for as long as they did. Now do your share. I'm willing and I can assure you that I make a whole lot less money then you seem to think I do. I truly am thankful to Pinellas County School's and Dr. Janssen for all she does to try and keep us all employed. I don't look forward to the possibility of furloughs and I don't look forward to a pay cut, but I will be thankful to still have my job. Something for you to think about!

[Bob]

This is even posted on the School Boards website for pay steps for teachers

The amounts above include $3,529 in referendum supplement dollars that were approved by the voters on November 2, 2004, effective 7/1/2005 to 6/30/2009.

Seems that it is after 6/30/2009. No other employee has gotten a raise in years except for teachers because of the tax referendum. Only teachers get money from the tax referendum. If taxes go down for the district and the language clearly states that it is until 6/30/2009 then it is only fair to decrease the amount. If everyone got money from the referendum than i could see such a big issue. However, bus drivers, plant operators, cafe, and all of the other workers did not get any raise in years but without them not a single classroom would be able to be used.

So much for a team approach, only thinking about one group will never help students improve and graduate. Wait until the referendum comes up to vote again and is turned down since it truly creates a divide within the school board among employees and is unfair.

[diann]

Maybe Tom is a frustrated teacher who fell short of his credentials.

[Bull]

Tom: Shut up. We know you hate teachers. We GET IT already!!! However, if someone offers to pay me "X" to do a job, then I expect to get paid "X". As for people like Tom who think they own our entire lives, go soak your head!~SO TIRED of hearing that BULL.

[20 year teacher]

It is amazing that when it comes to the referendum money ONLY the TEACHERS take a hit in pay. Admin in school buildings, support people, janitors, cafeteria people and ANYONE in the administration building don't miss a dollar in their pay! WHO DO YOU EXPECT TO TEACH THE KIDS WHEN WE ALL MUST MOVE AWAY BECAUSE WE (THE TEACHERS) HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES...?

[Teacher with Morals]

I beg everyone to write to the Dept of Education at the state and federal levels. Please join forces and make this topic be reported on national media...constantly until our society can eliminate all of these worthless and heartless "things" (I can't even think of them as human beings because humans are compassionate by nature. These "things" are not.) with only enough heartbeats in them to continually commit 4 of the 7 deadly sins on a daily basis. Those sins are: gluttony, greed, sloth, and pride.

Until USA teachers are treated with the same respect as those in Finland and Singapore, then no non-instructional personnel should make more than $35,000/yr...regardless of seniority.

I am so sick of seeing fellow teachers fall victim to these selfish "things". These idiot "things" can't seem to realize that they're destroying our society, 1000s of students each year.

HELLO!!! idiots, you ARE going to be victims of MAJOR KARMA because you're allowing our school system to continuously produce high amounts of undereducated youths. We are ALL curious what fate has lined for all of you heartless pieces of nothing.

[disappointed]

I agree with terminator. However, I don't see WTC happening. When teachers have a chance to make their voices heard, they vote FOR the contract!!! Look at early release Wednesdays, how was that passed? It's time, teachers, to take a stand. When the voters don't extend the referendum, you're looking at a $3000 cut!!! Do you think PCSB will make that up? There's a lot of money being spent, starting at the top! The new APs taking principal positions didn't need $20,000 increases at this time! Some were APs only 3 years, what experience are they taking with them?

[tom]

first of all it is not a union it is an association!! Florida is a right to work state. On all teachers pay stubs and on the pay schedule it states that the supplement is due to a tax rate increase. A bunch of overpayed, overeducated baby sitters that now has an association making them sound even more like cry babies. Wait till the next time when this comes up for taxpayers to vote for and it gets turned down because of all of the crying. Then how much will their paychecks go down. In college is a saying those who can do, those who cant teach. Sounds try again.

[priorities]

/the district still has money to pay some admin people double and their high school grad secretaries between $55,000 and $95,000 a year! These teacher women who wanted an education should have been satisfied with being secretaries!

[Yahoo!]

It is still amazing how the administration of PCS is continuing to hire personel and create new jobs for the district personel, yet there is no money.They all still carry the Blackberries, plus a cell phone, and have secretaries. Boy! I would like to have a blackberrie, wait, doesn't that contract cost $1,000,000 per year. But PCS has no money, and must take it away from the teachers????? Do the math
taxpayers, the School Board is being misguided. Wake up school board, before you lose all good qualified teachers in the county to other states.

[Melissa]

Bill O'Reilly would eat this up....

[FSM]

Isn't this where the teachers are told "just be happy you have a job"? Oh yeah, some don't have one anymore.

[told you so]

The referendum was a bone-headed idea in the first place.

The union is responsible for the push to circumvent the operating budget to pay salaries. Now they are not satisfied.

The union never should have risked teacher salaries on a short-term referendum that provides no guarenteed income, expenditure or continuation.

[!]

"...the 7 layer Estrogen filled nightmare that is the PCSB."

Billy boy,

Hating an entire gender is uncalled for.

Afterall, it is an inept over-paid male negotiating on behalf of the school board. It is time for these women to stand up to both the inept over-paid male negotiating the contract and the in-over-her-head superintendent.

[Billy]

How far is PCTA willing to take this? Given their so called judicial victory in the middle school schedule fiasco, this might be even funnier. PCSB has already proven they are willing to defy court orders. PCTA has proven they don't have a set big enough to force the board into playing fair. The ONLY thing that will force the board into living up to its obligation is bad press. On a national level. After 3 days of bitching in these blogs, the board knows the community will never hear about how they screw their teachers again. The key is to get National media attention. Embarrass the double dipping Ron Stone, Ms."I'm in over my head" Julie Janssen and the 7 layer Estrogen filled nightmare that is the PCSB. PCTA- keep the issue in the news. Be loud, be obnoxious. The county will never play fair unless they are forced to. Unfortunately one of the few tools we have at our disposal is the press. Use it.
Voters of pinellas county- pay attention to this! Throw these under qualified free loaders out at the first opportunity. Don't re elect ANY of them!

[terminator]

Forget about the unfair labor practice complaints, they are totally useless and PERC in Tally will rule against the unions anyway since they hate the teachers and their appointees were put in place by Jeb and Crist.
the unions and teachers must get much more aggressive to say the least.
I keep saying they have to organize a work to the contract edict at the beginning of the school year and enforce it at every school site location throughout the county. The WTC would continue throughout the year until the steps/raises were granted.
Teachers and school employees would report to work only a minute before contractually required to and would leave immediately with the last bell.
There would be NO projects, NO homework and NO work outside the school.
Also, teachers would spend NO money on supplies or paper. No copies would be run.
Give the kids plenty of bookwork to do to keep them occupied. Show a lot of movies and videos (kids like that anyway). Play games like Jeopardy for current events or to gauge content area knowledge. Give oral exams not written tests/essays. Do activities that DON'T INVOLVE PAPERWORK.
Have union building stewards conduct sweeps before and after school to ensure all bargaining unit employees are following the WTC.
Apply pressure to those who don't toe the line.
Also, teachers must REFUSE to participate in anything that's not contractually required. No professional developement, no FCAT workshops, no team planning, no open houses, no grad night, prom or graduation.
Of course the sheep will whine "but it will hurt the kids".
Well, let me tell you. If you don't start standing up for yourself and your profession you may never see another salary increase again.