Hudson Voters Okay Staff Pay Raises

Allows teachers to meet WEAC statewide bargaining standards

The northwestern Wisconsin community of Hudson Tuesday (October 2, 2001) became the first in the state to approve teacher and staff pay raises through a referendum.

The $1.23 million referendum provides enough money so that the Hudson teachers local will exceed the 2001-03 WEAC statewide bargaining standards.

The Hudson unit of the West Central Education Association and the school board had negotiated and ratified a contract, contingent on passage of the referendum. The contract provides an average teacher salary increase of 3.5% per cell per year of the two-year contract, according to UniServ Director Brett Pickerign.

The statewide bargaining standards call for per-cell salary increases of 3.4% per year.

This makes the Hudson local the first school district local in the state to settle a contract that meets the statewide standards. As of early October, 372 teacher locals still do not have ettled contracts for 2001-03, although all contracts expired June 30, 2001.

The Hudson School Board had said that if the referendum did not pass, the board would impose a Qualified Economic Offer on the teachers.

The referendum was one of three approved by Hudson voters. The others provide funding for building and technology improvements. The referendum on staff salaries passed by a 3-to-1 margin, the largest margin of the three referendums. It includes about $300,000 in salary increases for educational support professionals.

Pickerign credited the Hudson teachers and support staff for working diligently for more than a year in educating the public and school board about the need for fair salary increases. Their efforts included letters to the editor of the local newspaper.

“Members did an excellent job of educating the community about the needs of schools,” said West Central Education Association Director Brett Pickerign. “The public is very aware of the need to retain teachers and the need for better pay to do that.”

“We know that Hudson values education and this shows it,” WCEA-Hudson Co-President Scott Ellingson told the Hudson Star-Observer.

WCEA President Paul Hambleton said: “This successful combination of a referendum and a bargain is an outstanding example of union members working with a school board and community to strive for quality public education for children. Hudson has been and remains a leader in WCEA and has set a new standard for us all in the WEAC family."

Citing the recent failure of a referendum in Boyceville, Hambleton said he is concerned that poorer districts will not be able to follow Hudson's example, even though their educational needs may be the same or even more challenging.

"What are we to do if a referendum does not pass, as happened in WCEA-Boyceville?," he asked. "I believe we need a new funding formula in our state that allows school boards to meet the challenges they see in their own districts."

Resource page on the Qualified Economic Offer law