Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for November 27, 2007 WEST FRANKFORT SET TO SIGN

Teachers to sign two-year contract

By Tara Fasol, The Southern

WEST FRANKFORT - Teachers will be signing more than just report cards this December as West Frankfort educators prepare to lock into a two-year contract after a three-month negotiation process.

"We're getting ready to sign the contract," said union President Susan Hood.

Hood said teachers came to a tentative agreement over a two-year contact about one month ago and plan to review the agreement and sign in early December.

"There really wasn't any trouble," she said. "We were just taking time to make sure that the language was correct because our retirement had to be changed quite a bit."

The president said new state laws required teacher retirement agreements to be changed so earnings would not exceed 6 percent from year to year.

"There is also a severance package in this district," said Superintendent Greg Goins. "We had to go through the process of reviewing that and coming to terms on how that would continue."

Goins said negotiations began on Aug. 21 and a tentative agreement was reached on Oct. 23.

"A federal mediator was scheduled but never did have to come," Goins said. "I'm glad we finally have it finished and can start working on some other things."

Hood said once the retirement changes were made the rest of the contact negotiations went smoothly.

"We got a two and a quarter (pay raise) for the first year and a 2 percent (pay raise) for the second year," Hood said.

Goins noted that starting the next school year teachers would also have the choice among three varied insurance plans.

"Right now we only offer one option but beginning next school year we will offer a three-tiered plan so the employees will have three to choose from," he said.

A new teacher evaluation instrument was also approved for the 2007-2009 school years.