Some Districts Settle Good Contracts; Others Continue Struggle for Fairness

Local education associations throughout Wisconsin continue to hold out for fair contract settlements, as they mark four months since all teacher contracts expired.

Approximately 130 locals have settled their contracts, many of them at or above WEAC’s Collective Bargaining Standards. One of the most recent settlements was the D.C. Everest district, where teachers will receive 3% per-cell increases in 1997-98 and 3.3% raises the next year.

The Kenosha Education Association has reached a tentative agreement with the district for teacher compensation. Teachers preserved WEA health insurance and have exceeded the QEO.

“We applaud locals that are able to meet or exceed our bargaining goals,” WEAC President Terry Craney said. “Their success is incentive for other locals to continue working for fair contracts. They are proof it can be done.”

More locals are initiating or stepping up actions to highlight their lack of a contract. Activities include working to contract or boycotting voluntary events, walk-ins, and wearing buttons, black clothing, or armbands.

Wausau, Northland Pines, Omro and Salem Consolidated have all recently begun activities to publicize their contract difficulties.

The Northland Pines Education Association is encouraging members to wear black armbands, boycott the dedication of new buildings, and put orange ribbons on their car antennas to highlight their contract problems.

In Salem, approximately 80 teachers from area school districts picketed outside a school board meeting to protest the local’s lack of a contract and the QEO.

Locals in the Fox Valley area are continuing their activities as well. In Neenah, members dressed in black and attended a recent school board meeting.

Educators in Germantown and New Berlin are continuing their job actions, which include “resigning” from voluntary committees, rallies and working to contract. The New Berlin Education Association planned to send representatives to the Oct. 27 school board meeting to present summary data about the voluntary committee resignations, teacher out-of-pocket spending on school materials, and voluntary work time. New Berlin members also planned to stand outside several schools on Oct. 28, holding signs reading “No Options.”

Madison Teachers Inc. was scheduled to return to court October 27 after the union and district failed to reach agreement on a new contract. Dane County Judge Richard Callaway denied MTI’s request to send the dispute to an arbitrator. MTI had filed a petition for arbitration with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission.

In September, Judge Callaway ordered MTI and the school district to return to the bargaining table and reach agreement. He said if the two sides could not reach agreement by October 27, he would put them in two court rooms and not allow them to leave until they settled.

Posted October 24, 1997