District 113A Teachers Accept Two-Year Salary Freeze

Teachers and support staff in Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A have accepted new two-year contract, which includes a salary freeze and increased contributions to health insurance.

District 113A board members unanimously approved during their monthly business meeting Tuesday night two contracts with the Local 604 of the American Federation of Teachers—one for certified teachers and one for support staff.

According to contracts, staff will not receive an increase in salary over the amount received for the 2010-2011 school year.

In the previous contract, the annual increase in teacher salaries was about 2 percent, according to District 113A Supt. Tim Ricker. By eliminating the increase, the district will likely save between $250,000 and $275,000 per year in salary adjustments, he said.

Last month, the board  for the second year in a row. The hiring and salary adjustments for the upcoming school year will result in additional $245,000 in cuts or savings, Ricker said.

Additionally, the reduction in staff approved by the board in March will likely result in a savings of more than $670,000, he said.

As part of the new contracts, the district also eliminated reimbursement of tuition costs. In the previous contract, teachers were eligible to receive $125 per semester hour for up to 45 hours.

The other major point, Ricker said, was the increase in the staff's insurance contributions.

The changes to the union's insurance plan include:

• Increasing deductible to $500 for single coverage and $1,000 for family coverage.

• Increasing out-of-pocket maximum to $1,000 for single coverage and $2,000 for family coverage.

• Addition of spousal surcharge of $150 per month if the employee's spouse has access to coverage through his/her employment but receives it through the district.

• Increase prescription co-pay and add mail order requirement.

• Elimination of deductible rollover.

• Implementation of a single open enrollment period.

According to Ricker, the cost-savings of the increase will likely match the insurance renewal cost, which is expected to increase 10-20 percent.

"The biggest thing to take away from this new contract is that it's expenditure neutral," Ricker said. "That's where we're going to see the savings over the next two years."

Board member Kevin Doherty said the agreement was the result of a "good negotiation" between the district and union representatives.

"I would say that significant contributions have been made by the teachers," Doherty said. "We are going to save a lot based on this contract. I think it says a lot about the partnership between the teachers, the community [and this board].

Board member Lisa Wright also commended District 113A staff for concessions made in the new contracts.

"It was a good negotiation," she said. "Everyone sat down at the table ... we went back and forth and there was some give and take."

Christine Balaty, an eighth-grade teacher at Old Quarry Middle School, read a statement on behalf of the union and its president, Michelle Nevin.

"We would like to thank Dr. Ricker and the board of education for their participation in the negotiation process," she said. "We held fast to the contract [with the salary freeze], but when you factor the increase in cost of living and inflation, it does turn out to be somewhat of a cut.

"Thank you again for all the work done together with the teachers this year."

The adopted contracts are effective July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2013.