Thomas Breen file photo
Supt. Tracey: Teachers' union has claimed "unfair labor practice."
The Board of Education voted to rescind its previous approval of $5,000 sign-on bonuses after the teachers’ union criticized the incentive plan as being crafted without the input of local educators.
Ed board members took that vote Monday night during the latest regular biweekly meeting of the Board of Education, which was held on Zoom.
The reason for the reversal was not because the district has filled its more than 80 vacancies amid the ongoing teacher shortage.
Instead, the Board of Ed rescinded its vote after the teachers’ union served the district with a notice alleging unfair labor practices and a violation of bargaining rights.
NHPS
Tracey's letter to the ed board asking to rescind bonus vote.
During the public comment section of Monday’s meeting, teachers’ union President Leslie Blatteau told the board that “our union is not opposed to using grant funding to address the teacher shortage and improve wages for employees.” But, she said, she and her colleagues are opposed to how the district did not seek proper input from teachers when putting together the previously approved bonus plan.
“We are opposed to unilateral decision making by management when it comes to employee compensation, which is something we as a union have a right to negotiate,” she said.
While NHPS Superintendent Iline Tracey insisted that the district does have the proper authority under the union contract to offer sign-on bonuses, she nevertheless recommended on Monday night that the Board of Education rescind its previous approval in order to maintain a strong partnership with the unions and to avoid the possible perception that the district bargained in bad faith.
Click here to read the teachers’ union labor relations complaint in full.
The now-cancelled initiative had previously been approved at the Board of Ed’s last regular meeting on Oct. 11. The proposed effort was to be funded by federal pandemic-relief money and would have offered tiered signing bonuses and increased hourly rates for educators who staffed before- and after-school programming. (Click here to read more about the now-rescinded plan.)
Teachers' Union Prez: "Process Matters"
During Monday’s meeting, Blatteau said the teachers’ union and the paraprofessionals’ union are ready to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the district as soon as possible to increase hourly wages for staff working overtime before and after school.
Reached over the phone after Monday’s meeting, Blatteau insisted that “process matters” and that the teachers’ union and its union siblings like the paraprofessionals union must be afforded their right to negotiate educator pay.
While not opposed to a pay increase or more incentives to recruit educators, Blatteau said the unions deserve a seat at the table.
If the teachers’ union was brought to the table when crafting the recruitment plan, Blatteau said, she would have liked to ask about how the district came up with the tiered bonus amounts and who qualifies for the bonuses. She would have also liked to have talked with district leadership to brainstorm possible plans for how to reward current teachers.
Blatteau concluded that the teachers’ union hopes to maintain and strengthen its collaboration with the school district.
NHPS
The now-rescinded bonus plan.
The before and after school pay bump would have increased teachers’ pay rates to $45 per hour, paras to $25 per hour, and building leaders’ to $50 per hour.
The bonus plan would have offered individuals taking on hard-to-fill jobs (tier 1) — such as math teachers, special education professionals, school psychologists, and health professionals — a maximum bonus of $5,000.
Tier two labeled as “high vacancy areas” included a $2,500 bonus for social workers, counselors, and safety officers. New paraprofessionals, meanwhile, would’ve received $1,250 each for tier four.
A $1,000 general signing bonus was also a part of the plan for tier three, which included teachers for art, English, and computer education.
In NHPS Superintendent Iline Tracey’s notice to the Board of Education, she said the district is allowed to offer sign on bonuses as incentives to attract staff in special areas according to Xll, Section 7 of the union’s bargaining contract. Tracey added that the teachers’ union lawyer served her with a cease and desist letter for the approved motion.
Tracey also said that the Board of Education’s lawyer received a notice that the union plans to file a “prohibited act against New Haven Public Schools, New Haven Board of Ed, and also the superintendent, for unilaterally determining wages, implementing sign on bonuses, and rate of pay for staff.”
Tracey said no bonuses have been paid to educators so far and that the plan was to provide the payouts at the end of the academic year to avoid abrupt departures.
Goldson: Previous Bonus Plan Was "Rushed"
Watch the full meeting above.
Before the board members voted in support of rescinding the bonuses, Board of Education member Darnell Goldson said, “So, clearly, this was rushed to us without thought. We rushed passing it without a whole lot of thought. And now we’re sitting here embarrassed as heck in front of all New Haveners now trying to fix a mistake we didn’t have to make in the first place.”
Goldson made a motion Monday night to rescind just the sign on bonus item while maintaining the before and after school pay increase for all employees. He said it is not fair that all educators will lose out on the before and after school pay because of the vote to rescind the entire motion.
His proposed amendment was not seconded, and therefore failed.
“This could have been avoided with better communication. I’m assuming good intentions all around,” Board Vice President Matt Wilcox said. Board members Mayor Justin Elicker and Abie Benitez agreed.
“On the grounds that we want a really good relationship with our unions, they’re our partners, not our adversaries,” Board Secretary Edward Joyner said.
The official vote was 6 – 1. Goldson voted no to rescinding the vote because he argued that the board should have been provided with the teachers’ union legal document stating its complaint and request. “I think it’s unfair. I think it’s sour grapes. And the paraprofessionals as usual will be hurt and suffer by what this board does,” he said.