Manitowoc ESP Bargain Extra Pay for Earning Certificate

Members of the Manitowoc Educational Professionals Bargaining Committee include
(back row left to right) Rhonda Zahn, Nancy Orth and Bonnie Tennie, and (front left to right) Mary Erdman, Phyllis Uhrich and Laurie Lee. Missing from the picture are Dawn Krause, Marilee Loduha, Debbie Holschbach and Kim Berres.

By Terry Lawler
Contributing writer

Manitowoc Educational Paraprofessionals who complete WEAC’s Professional Development Academy’s ESP Certificate program will receive a raise in their hourly pay under a landmark contract negotiated for 2007-09.

“The MEP is proud to be one of the first to achieve hourly compensation for PDA certification,” said Bonnie Tennie, MEP President.

“We’ve been trying to get this for at least seven years,” said Jim Carlson, Director for the Kettle Moraine UniServ Council (KMUC). “The proposal has been on the table before.”

For several years, Carlson said, KMUC has provided training opportunities for education support professional (ESP) members who qualify for PDA certification, but until this contract the members have been working for their certification strictly for self-improvement.

“Many of us have been taking PDA courses for years so that we may become more efficient in our jobs,” said Deb Holschbach, vice president of the 150-member MEP. “It’s great that the PDA is finally being acknowledged for the wonderful program that it is.”

The Professional Development Academy is a non-profit organization which is supported by WEAC. Created in 1991, the Academy strives to provide high-quality, meaningful staff development to Wisconsin members and school districts. Its director is Debra Berndt, and a board of directors provides guidance and oversight. The ESP Certificate Program provides instruction in several areas, including communication skills, legal and ethical considerations, behavior management, growth and development, and culturally specific non-verbal behaviors. Hourly requirements are set up for each area, and completion of the program requires a total of 40 hours of study.

KMUC has been very successful at providing ESP training for its members at a very low cost, Carlson said.

“Our program is very cost-effective. Presenters work for a small stipend, and courses are provided at very little cost to ESP members. “In the future, most of these classes will be provided at no cost as part of their membership dues.”

Sometimes district teachers provide the training. An instructor for nearby Lakeshore Technical College taught a course on Microsoft Word applications. “Someone outside the bargaining unit taught a course on autism, a unit that the Manitowoc district told us was very important to them,” Carlson said. “Sometimes I have taught courses and, of course, that service is part of my job. WEAC has helped us seek out presenters and has sent its own attorneys to instruct our members in legal issues.”

Negotiations for the current contract had gone to arbitration, but the ESPs had agreed to mediation in the interim.

“We had two or three primary issues in this bargain,” Carlson said, “but most important was the PDA.”

Throughout a daylong mediation session, the ESPs made it clear to the mediator that the PDA was one issue from which they were not going to walk away. The board, to avoid arbitration, agreed to the ESPs proposal, and the contract was ratified in August.

“All kudos go to the bargaining team,” Carlson said. “I was very pleased with the way they handled themselves in mediation.”

“I would have to say that I feel honored to have been on the negotiating committee,” said Rhonda Zahn, a library media manager at Franklin Elementary School. “It is a large step for our people, and I hope it paves the way for other unions.”

Carlson was quick to note that “this was not a contentious bargain.”

“The mediations were entirely professional. This was a tough issue for the board since it involved finding the money to fund the program. We honor the Manitowoc district for its commitment to our people.”

Phyllis Uhrich, chief negotiator and an instructional aide, said MEP members understand that their own education is vital to the education of their students.

“We are delighted that our board now sees the importance of this,” she said. “We also commend all of the MEP members who have already earned enough credits for PDA certification.”

Carlson said six ESPs have already completed the PDA program, but that number is sure to grow rapidly.

“We have typically trained about 20 people at a time, but I expect that number to double. We have a training room in the basement of the Kettle Moraine office, but when all of our trainees are from Manitowoc the district provides us with an on-campus facility such as their computer lab.”

The ESPs are very anxious to work collaboratively with the district, seeking their input as to what courses they feel are important.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Carlson and the ESPs are looking to the future. “Now that we’ve opened the door to hourly compensation,” Carlson said, “we will look at increasing it. Also, there is a Level II certification and we will be working on negotiating a premium for that.”

OnWEAC Collective Bargaining Resource Page
OnWEAC ESP Resource Page
OnWEAC Resource Page on the Professional Development Academy

Posted October 3, 2007