Schools

NFT Presents a New Contract Proposal

The new contract proposal includes member healthcare contributions and "significant savings to the school district,"as stated in a press release.

Tuesday evening, Neshaminy Federation of Teachers President Louise Boyd to the school district; its third counter proposal to the district during the more than three years of unsettled contract negotiations.

The contract presented is highlighted by a duration of six years, from July 1, 2008 to July 1, 2014.

In terms of salary, effective July 1, 2011 all certified staff will be placed "appropriately" on the salary matrix, based on years of service and education, including those earned since July 1, 2008, according to a press release issued by the NFT. Salary will increase by 1 percent from 2008-2009, 1 percent from 2009-2010, 1 percent from 2010-2011, 3 percent from 2011-2012, 3 percent from 2012-2013 and 3.5 percent from 2013-2014. All back pay will be made in equal quarterly installments over two years.

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Teachers will utilize the health care base plan personal choice 15.

According to Boyd, health care contributions were calculated based on the idea of 8 percent of what teachers are paying toward their current health plan.

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The NFT agreed to eliminate the "single source" prescription plan and to sign-off on the prescription self-insured transition, according to the press release. All other provisions have remained unchanged from the NFT's counter offer made in August 2010.

"I believe that the professionals of the Neshaminy need this to come to a close by the end of school year," Boyd said, noting that this contract proposal is "absolutely a step in that direction."

Though Boyd said that the NFT has had a "difficult" time getting the school board to "come to the table," she is hoping that they bring an offer of their own to the .

In response to whether the contract proposal was crafted with the district's in mind, Boyd said that "the counter offer was actually crafted specifically based on the kinds of ideas we’ve shared with the board from the beginning."

Boyd said that it "never gained any legs" due to the board's "take-it-or-leave-it" attitude. 

"It is our anticipation that they are going to come to the table with a counter offer and we can start a reasonable process," Boyd said.


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