Teacher Bargaining March 8, 2023
Bargaining Meeting: March 8, 2023
Roll Call: HPS: Josh McKay, Brian Cummings, Keri Mizell, Janelle Mickelson, Jill Nyman, Nick Radley, Cal Boyle, Brett Zanto. HEA: Jane Shawn, Kelly Elder, Erika McMillin, Anna Alger, Paul Phillips, Jake Warner, Adam Clinch, Jonna Schwartz, Joanne Didriksen.
12:30: Reviewed Norms
12:35: Clean copy of 2020-2023 CBA Projected; group worked through CBA
1. Changing the date to 2023-2025
a. HEA is in agreement for the change in date if we are able to utilize the MOU process during these two years. These potential MOU could include just an MOU for one person or collectively
b. HPS is in agreement to utilize the MOU process during these dates
2. Preamble:
a. HEA proposed striking “budget development” and “budget solutions”
b. HPS is agreeable to striking this language from the Preamble
3. Definitions
a. HEA clarified that when “Board” is used throughout the CBA we are referring to Helena Board of Trustees elected by law.
4. Definitions
a. HPS recommends defining School Day and school week is the day or week that teachers are contracted to work.
b. HEA Does this language will come up later? HEA will decide on that change when we get to these sections.
5. 1.3 Teaching Load
a. HEA: wants what is in the Montana State Code for Accreditation Standards to be the minimum and include that paraprofessional, not volunteers, to provide for additional staff when state minimum is not met. Propose that 1.5 hours of paraprofessional for certified classroom assistance is written in contract.
b. HPS: Not agreeable to this proposed change due to staffing restrictions. Even though the Montana Code requires this standard, HPS is still in disagreement with adding this language to the CBA because it is already on accreditation standard.
c. HPS: Proposed to delete the second and third paragraph (re: minimum standards) because it is repetitive to Montana State Standards.
d. HEA: Rationale for including these paragraphs is to provide for this protection as a minimum State Standard.
e. HPS believes it is repetitive.
f. HPS/HEA are not in agreement with deleting these paragraphs.
g. HEA: In the fifth paragraph 1.3, What is the need for the addition of “with no additional compensation”?
h. HPS: To gain clarity and so administration can better explain to teachers.
i. HEA: Agree with additional language “with no additional compensation”
j. HPS: Change from “student week” to “school week” in paragraphs that address guaranteed prep time.
k. HPS: This change provides flexibility for Administration to provide for coverage due to staffing shortage. There is not the human capital to provide coverage, especially at the elementary level.
l. HEA: this proposed change has serious consideration when teachers need prep time protected, even when students are not in school. Instead, HEA would like strengthen the wording in order to protect prep time from encroachment or meetings or administrative choice.
m. HEA: in opposition to change because it would allow for the possibility for prep time at the elementary level to become irregular and unprotected depending on staffing available.
n. HPS: Gave specific example of how coverage for prep time for has been strained by staffing shortage. It is not a regular occurrence, but again flexibility is necessary in order to provide coverage.
o. HPS: 4.5 hours a week for prep time could occur during the contracted time for each day—at the beginning or end of the day during the unassigned time.
p. HEA: This time, before or after instructional time, could be encroached upon by meetings or other responsibilities.
q. HEA: We need to table this topic and address it in our smaller group. Clarification that this flexibility is requested for predominantly the elementary level. Need to better understand how this “fits” in elementary.
r. HPS: Yes, this is predominantly needed at the elementary level. It is the district’s proposal that a teacher gets a minimum of 4.5 a week by possibly including some minutes before school and after school.
s. HEA/HPS: Discussion on how the 4.5 hours is provided currently based on the specials (PE, Music, Library) and recess time (2 recesses). We have never considered before school or after school as “prep time” because this time is used for staff meetings and other building-level obligations.
t. HPS/HEA: we are not in agreement on prep-time changes suggested.
6. 1.5 Duty Free Lunch
a. HEA/HPS agree on date change in paragraph outlining “not less than 45 minutes, except for 2020-2023—change to 2023-2025
7. 2.1 Salary and Compensation
a. HEA/HPS agree on striking language regarding outdated PCAP language.
b. HPS: Can you explain the proposed language regrading applying COLA to the Master’s stipend for those grandfathered on PCAP lane?
c. HEA: When COLA is applied it includes those in the MA lanes. This creates inequality for those holding Mater’s and on the PCAP.
d. HPS: going back to discuss this and add a cost analysis before deciding.
8. 2.4 Steps and Lanes Salary Movement
a. HPS: Put a placeholder on this section, as more exploration and discussion must take place first before we can enter into more discussion.
b. 9-- Changes agreed upon
c. 10—HPS must go the Board of Trustees, discussion continues
9. 2.4 (a) New Section Additional Duties Compensation until HPS can have further discussion in their group.
10. 2.4 (a) Travel Expenses --language proposed by HEA
a. HEA: language proposed includes the MOU to include travel time for teachers working in more than one building to include “time spent in travel shall count as hours worked” and mileage will be reimbursed by state rate.
b. HPS: From our perspective, the teachers should get milage reimbursement, but should have an additional 6th assignment duty after travel is complete. This would only apply to 9-12 teachers.
c. HPS: Proposed to strike “When an employee is required to travel…outside the employee’s normal workday”
d. HEA: By striking that sentence, teachers who travel could be required to travel during their lunch or prep time.
e. HPS: We could keep and adapt the language to include “time spent during travel will occur during the workday but not during lunch or prep time”. Create language that includes expectation of a 6th assignment for 9-12 traveling teachers.
f. HEA/HPS agree to changes in language.
11. 2.5 (a) Pupil Instruction Related Days—proposed language by HEA
a. HPS-placeholder, we have not had time to discuss. We will come back.
12. 2.6 S&L and PCAP Placement
a. HEA: paragraph A adapted to remove the outdate/nonapplicable movement options from transition years and add the final sentences to paragraph E.
b. HEA/HPS: we agree to strike paragraphs B and C.
c. HEA/HPS: agree to changes in language regarding notification of 20+ year PCAP teachers when moving to Salary and Lane matrix.
d. HPS: please draft proposed changes to paragraph E and send to us with rationale and we will look at it.
13. 2.7 Extra Duty Compensation
a. Placeholder HEA: The Extra Duty Compensation Committee must meet to make adjustments in salary compensation for these positions. The committee has not met, but plans to. We will wait to hear from this group.
14. 2.9 Retirement Benefit
a. HEA: removed the sentence defining “good standing” for PCAP because this no longer applies to all teachers.
b. HPS: agree to removing the sentence beginning “good standing…”
c. HPS: discussion language “retiring teacher twenty (20) years or more” are eligible for this benefit. We will need to see how this applies to administrators who have been “teachers” in the district but not for 20 years, even though they may have served in the district for 20 years.
d. HEA/HPS: Placemarker: Let’s do some work on finding out how this applies to members in our district who have moved from Administration to teaching.
15. 2.10 Sick Leave/Retirement Redemption plan
a. HEA/HPS will look at this in smaller group.
16. 3.1 Discipline and Termination
a. HPS: request to remove involuntary transfer and demotion
b. HPS: Involuntary transfer must remain somewhere because it may be used as a remediation method. Can we move it from a disciplinary to an agreement that allows for process to attempt remediation? Is this adequate as expressed in 7.6?
c. HPS/HEA: agree to strike “involuntary transfer and demotion” from list of disciplines, once conversation regarding its inclusion in 7.6 takes place
17. Continue with 3.1 Proposals in future meeting
Next Meeting:
HPS: proposal to meet in April
HEA: can we try to meet for a full day
Next Meeting: April 12th 8:30-3:30
**Agree to work on Placeholders and subcommittee meetings in the meantime, as well as any other proposals or articles that we can talk about.