IN January, city teachers protested salaries.
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Board to hear of district’s pact with union; instructors would get 5% over 2 years, ‘not as high as inflation has been,’ BTA president says

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia Unified School District trustees on Thursday will consider a tentative agreement between the Benicia Teachers Association and the district that would give city teachers their first raises in five years.

The agreement is the result of six negotiating sessions between district and BTA bargaining teams, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael Gardner wrote in a report to the board.

Benicia teachers have not had a raise in five years because 2008 was when the state started to cut funding to education, BTA President Carleen Maselli said Tuesday. “In the earlier part of that time, teachers along with the entire BUSD staff took three furlough days to save money, reduced our dental coverage, reduced our stipends by 40 percent and increased class sizes to (kindergarten through third grade classes).”

The new agreement includes a 2.5-percent ongoing increase for the 2012-13 school year, retroactive to July 1, 2012, and a second 2.5-percent increase effective July 1, 2013 for a total increase of 5 percent.

In addition, the district’s contribution to teachers’ medical benefits premium will increase to $650 from $600 per month, retroactive to July 1, 2012.

The temporary 40-percent reduction of stipends will be voided as well, and stipends will be restored to their 2007-08 amounts. This provides additional compensation to those teachers who are appointed to extend day activities, Maselli said.

Additionally, “Although the raise is smaller than what BTA had hoped to negotiate, as it is not as high as inflation has been, we are happy that teachers will be able to see some increase to their bottom lines,” she said.

“Next year’s budget should be relatively flat, but with the sequestration still posing questions around federal cuts, the (memorandum of understanding) for the K-3 class sizes will help to stabilize student-teacher ratios at their current levels, without increasing them further, while the district can still budget for the possible cuts,” Maselli said.

“Unfortunately, the $50 (benefits) increase will most likely get swallowed up when Kaiser and Health Net raise their rates again next year,” she added. “For the last several years health benefits have increased by double-digit percents.”

Maselli explained that a BUSD employee who must cover a family currently pays upward of $1,300 a month out of pocket after the district makes its contribution.

“For a teacher who has 12 years of experience, this is still about one quarter of his or her take-home pay,” she said.

“The increase will of course help, but we just can’t seem to gain any ground financially. Several members have already had to make the choice to remove their children from the District Health Plan and seek alternate ways of getting health care coverage for them.

“The current Health Care Reform Act doesn’t seem to bring any relief to help people get affordable rates for their entire family, so I don’t see this improving for us anytime soon.”

If You Go
The Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet Thursday at 6 p.m. for closed session, and at 7 p.m. for open session in the board room of the district office, 350 East K St.

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