Madison Teachers, Inc.

For more information, contact
MTI Executive Director John Matthews
(608) 257-0491

It is appalling that the members of the Board of Education have once again followed the inappropriate guidance of Supt. Wilhoyte. They have rejected what has been recommended to them by their Chief Negotiator as a Mediator's Proposed Settlement of the 1997-99 Teacher Contract Negotiations. Wilhoyte's action is even more appalling, because it was she who several times in recent weeks publicly asked the Mediator to make a recommended settlement.

The referenced Mediator's proposal, however, was jointly developed during several weeks of discussions between the District negotiator Jon Anderson, Mediator Bill Houlihan and myself (John Matthews). Jon Anderson and I each pledged our support of it and that we would recommend it to our principal parties.

While it is not perfect in each and every aspect, the recommended agreement would bring satisfactory closure to the acrimonious negotiations which have had a negative impact on every teacher in the city, most other school district employees, many students and many area residents.

Meeting last evening, the MTI Bargaining Committee and Board of Directors, following my recommendation, approved the tentative agreement and scheduled a membership meeting to enable member ratification. That meeting will not be held, at this time, because of the negative action by the members of the Board of Education.

The Mediator's proposed settlement addressed all of the crucial issues between the parties. It is my understanding that the Superintendent lobbied against the proposal because of the impact of the wage increase on the negotiations for the 1999-2001 Contract. Further, the Superintendent influenced Board member Lawson not to meet with the Mediator about the terms of his proposal. The Mediator expressed his desire to have Lawson hear the terms of his proposal first hand and three other Board members have reportedly been supporting settlement. Lawson was thought to be the swing vote to approve the settlement offer.

The Mediator's Proposed Settlement would have started to build the road to labor peace. It would have laid the foundation for the "health and vitality of the schools" by providing the parties the means to develop a positive relationship, improved labor relations and joint efforts in areas where the Board needs MTI's help, e.g. legislation, school district boundary disputes and referenda.

Board members have, according to their negotiator, given him different direction than that which they were telling representatives of MTI was their position. This is particularly true of Mr. Lopez.

The Superintendent has avoided any public interaction and any public leadership in conjunction with the crisis surrounding negotiations. In fact, she testified in deposition that she has no authority regarding negotiations. Her testimony, on that subject, however, differed from that given by Board President Lopez about her authority and differs from her reported action. One can easily see from this why so much confusion surrounds this bargain.

The Board of Education appears to have no sense of direction. If the District does have a plan, their ship has been without a captain and they are without a map to stay on course. By both their action and inaction, they have caused severe disruption in the community and in the schools.

The result of the failure by Superintendent Wilhoyte and Board President Lopez to provide leadership during these negotiations has caused great and unnecessary strife among the very individuals whose self esteem is so essential to quality education - our teachers.

Neither the wages nor the benefits in the Mediator's Recommended Settlement were exorbitant. Base wages would have increased 2.05% effective July 1, 1997 (a total package of 4.02%). The second year's wage increase of 1.95% (total package of 4.3%), however, would have been delayed to become effective October 1, 1998. This compares to wage only increases of 3-5% for city police, county employees, UW and other state employees. Then of course there are the wage increases of 10.5% to 22.9% for most of the Governor's staff.

What is frustrating here is the failure of the Superintendent and the members of the Board to take cognizance of the impact which their continuance of this dispute will have on education and on the community. Teachers at the apex of their careers are talking early retirement; about entering other professions. Their hearts are being torn out by the disrespect shown them. All of these things will negatively impact the quality of education in Madison. For the Board members and the Superintendent not to recognize what the impact of their action is both immediate and long term on what teachers are able to accomplish with children is beyond belief.

We ask that the residents of the District call on Board members to re-think their strident stand; that they ask the Board members to accept the Mediator's Proposed Settlement; that they ask Board members to work with teachers in the best interest of the community in general, but more particularly in the best interest of the children in our schools.

Posted December 2, 1997