Below you will find the 7-page initial contract proposal side-by-side comparison made by the Pennsbury Education Association (PEA). While our team believes that ongoing negotiations will be more productive if done privately between our association and the district, this document was recently posted on the Pennsbury School District website. The district did not, however, post the nearly 90-page counter proposal which was issued by the Board of School Directors. To ensure a sense of fairness and equity, that document is also posted below. This proposal represent the starting points of both parties and it is our hope that continuing efforts will be made to find a timely resolution.
George Miller
President, Pennsbury Education Association

Initial District Contract Proposal
Initial Pennsbury Education Association Proposal

   Below you will find a side-by-side comparison of some of the key points contained in the current proposals offered by the Pennsbury Education Association (PEA) and the Pennsbury School Board.

            It is important to understand that this is not an attempt to negotiate through websites or the media. Rather it represents PEA’s position on key items where considerable differences currently exist between the two parties. And while PEA’s actual proposal includes only several other items, the district’s complete counter-offer contains an exhaustive, contract-stripping list of changes. This point is made only to reinforce the concept that PEA is committed to working toward a contract that is fair, competitive, and in line with those settled in neighboring school districts.

            In this document, you will find salary numbers that look quite different from those found in the newspaper and on other websites. That’s because these are the actual numbers that appear in our proposal. When taken together with the 0% salary increase that PEA members agreed to this past year, the 3.5% over each of the next 5 years actually means that PEA members would only recognize an average annual pay increase of 2.9% during the contract years 2009 thru 2015. We believe this figure to be a fair starting point and hope that the district will come to see this as the “new reality for today” and for future negotiations. The Pennsbury Education Association looks forward to working with the school board and believes that by bargaining in good faith a fair and realistic contract agreement can be reached.

George Miller
President
Pennsbury Education Association

Salary

Pennsbury Education Association

Year 1: 3.5%
Year 2: 3.5%
Year 3: 3.5%
Year 4: 3.5%
Year 5: 3.5%

Pennsbury School District

Year 1: 0%
Year 2: 0%
No increase for years of experience (step); no increase for educational attainment

PEA Rationale:
Increases comparable to neighboring school districts

Length of Contract

Pennsbury Education Association

5 Years

Pennsbury School District

2 Years

PEA Rationale:
Provides long-term stability for the school district and the community

Medical Benefits

Pennsbury Education Association

Maintain existing healthcare and dental plan and continue 10% employee contribution of premium costs for length of contract

Pennsbury School District

Change base health care plan to a PPO 1500/5600 which is a high deductible plan & increase employee contribution to 12% of the premium
Increase premium to 20% for the base dental plan

PEA Rationale:
Our current plan and premium contribution shares are in line with virtually every other school district in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. As health care costs increase, our member contribution increases proportionately

Vision

Pennsbury Education Association

Increase vision coverage from a total of $545 to $1200

Pennsbury School District

Restrict current payment of $545 over five years per family unit to $140 per year per family unit

PEA Rationale:
One eye exam and one pair of glasses will exceed $545

Prescription Drugs

Pennsbury Education Association

Maintain current prescription drug plan

Pennsbury School District

Increase premium share contribution from 10% to 15%
Increase co-pay on the select formulary drug plan from 10/20/35 to 15/35/50

PEA Rationale:
Our current plan already requires significantly higher premium and co-pay contributions than most of the surrounding districts

Length of School Year

Pennsbury Education Association

188 Teacher workdays
180 Student days

Pennsbury School District

194 Teacher workdays
184 Student days

PEA Rationale:
In light of the current economic conditions, fewer days will save considerable operating costs for the district

Early Retirement Incentive

Pennsbury Education Association

Members who retire early will receive employee and spouse coverage for health insurance, prescription drug, vision and dental coverage according to the current plans and premium shares available to current employees for a maximum of eight years

Pennsbury School District

Rejected

PEA Rationale:
This incentive could save the district a minimum of 1,000,000 annually by replacing top end salary teachers with beginning teachers

Class Size

Pennsbury Education Association

Maintain existing class size caps

Pennsbury School District

Strike all existing language that maintains student class size, lifting limits on class size

PEA Rationale:
There is exhaustive research and literature

indicating that limiting class size is an educationally sound practice that is in the best interest of the students

Special Education

Pennsbury Education Association

Cap the number of special education students placed in an inclusion classroom at a ratio of 1 special education student for every 3 general education students

Pennsbury School District

Rejected

PEA Rationale:
Even though the Commonwealth recommends a much lower proportion (1:6), the Association is comfortable that quality instruction can be provided with this level of restriction

Non-Reprisal

Pennsbury Education Association

Maintain current language which makes the retaliation or intimidation taken against an employee for their participation in union activity unlawful

Pennsbury School District

Remove all non-reprisal language from the contract

PEA Rationale:
Retaliation for union activity is immoral and illegal

Fair Share

Pennsbury Education Association

Maintain current contract language which states that employees who are not members of the Association shall be required to pay the Association an ACT 48 fee for the services rendered as the exclusive bargaining agent

Pennsbury School District

Bargain unit members who are not members of the Association will not be required to pay a "fair share" union fee

PEA Rationale:
PA law of 1988 (Act 48) recognizes the right of the Association to collect a "fair share" fee from non-association members that directly benefit from all of the rights and privileges provided them by the direct actions of the bargaining agent, Pennsbury Education Association (PEA). This fair share fee is calculated by PA Commonwealth Court each year for all school districts

Absence Policy

Pennsbury Education Association

PEA has no proposal on this issue as the policy does not exist currently and may be a violation of labor law

Pennsbury School District

Employees will be charged for the use of two sick days if only one sick day is taken immediately before or after a weekend, holiday or workshop day

PEA Rationale:
There is already a district policy that requires a doctor's note for a sick day attached to a holiday or workshop day. PEA believes that this additional policy is punitive in nature and punishes members when illness strikes