Teachers’ pay goes to arbitration

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 1999 | 11:25 a.m.

Union representatives for teachers, school secretaries and principals came to Tuesday night's meeting with Clark County School District negotiators prepared for the worst -- a declaration of impasse in their pocket.

During the 45-minute meeting, Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Jasonek handed school district officials the document to present to the Clark County School Board, beginning the binding arbitration process.

The hearing before an impartial arbitrator could come as early as October. It serves as the alternative to striking as the 1999-2000 school year will start Monday with school district employees covered under the old contract that expired June 30.

"The meeting went pretty much as we expected," Jasonek said. "We will continue to talk about language matters, but the financial issue will be decided by an arbitrator unless the board has a change of heart."

Edward Goldman, chief negotiator for the district, said in the wake of the Nevada Legislature providing no money in the budget for raises or a cost of living increase for school employees, the district has no choice but to stick to its firm offer of zero.

"I guess this is one of those times that we'll agree to disagree and let someone else decide," Goldman said. "An impasse is just part of the formula. It gets the ball rolling."

Both Goldman and Jasonek have described their discussions over the summer months as cordial and professional.

Jasonek won't say what percentage hike employees are asking for, but he believes the district has the money to give raises and a moderate cost of living increase.

"The school district is getting at least $60 more per pupil allocations," Jasonek said. "That's about $60 million more from state and local funds."

Goldman says that money is going toward hiring more teachers -- 1,500 additional instructors this year -- buying more supplies and constructing more buildings. It's not a surplus, he said, it's compensation.

The pay issue also went to arbitration in 1997 for the last two-year contract. The arbitrator gave teachers a 4.25 percent increase the first year and 3 percent last year.

The other items on the table include maintaining health benefits, year-round school issues and the length of time teachers should commit to staying at particular schools.

Currently, the district pays $300 per teacher per month for health insurance premiums, Goldman said. It has not been made clear what each side is looking for on that issue.

The year-round school issue is one of whether teachers should get to select which of the five vacation breaks they would like based on seniority, which the union wants, or have the issue left to each principal with input from teachers, as is the current policy.

Also at issue is the policy that allows teachers to transfer at will. This, Goldman says, has caused a stability problem as teachers who live in the outskirts of town have left inner-city schools to teach at new schools that open closer to their neighborhoods.

The district would rather teachers commit to staying at schools for a number of years, especially those in at-risk areas, while the union does not want to lose the freedom teachers have to change institutions at the end of school years.