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Para Contract--Tentative Agreement

Paraeducators:

Thank you to Avra Branson, Adam Kaplan, and Leighann Wilson for their hard work on the Para Bargaining Team.  We have reached a tentative agreement with the district for a contract for the 2023-2024 school year.  

Highlights:

  • Salary increase of 1.0% (retroactive to the beginning of the school year)

  • Continuity in breaks:

  • Article 7.1—Work Day: 1.     A paid coffee break of fifteen (15) continuous minutes will be given during every three (3) hours of scheduled continuous work.  This break shall occur approximately halfway through the three (3) hours of scheduled work.  Flexibility is allowed through mutual agreement by the employee and supervisor.

  • Clarification on substituing:

  • Article 7.4—Substitutes:  A.    Para Educator employees may be given the option to substitute for a the teacher(s) for whom they work in the event that the teacher is absent.  When substituting for a teacher, the Para Educator shall be paid their regular rate of pay or the substitute rate whichever is greater.

  • Clarification of summer work under the CBA:

  • Employees shall be given first consideration for Para Educator summer work within the school district. Employees must submit a written request to the personnel office on or before May 1st in order to be considered for summer work.  If hired, they shall be paid according to the wage scale provided in Appendix A and have all of the benefits of this Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Para Educators may turn down any offers of summer employment.

  • Use of Sick Leave Bank

  • Article 8.2—Sick Leave:  D.    Sick Leave Bank       

  • Rewrite of Jury/Civic Duty Leave:

  • Article 8.8—Jury/Civid Leave: 

  • Rewrite of Military Leave:

  • Article 8.10—Military Leave:  Employees shall be granted leave for service in the military in accordance with state and federal law. The District will comply with all federal regulations regarding the employee's return to service following military leave. (MCA 10-1-1009) 

  • Addition to travel reimbursement:

  • Article 9.6—Travel Reimbursement:  All employees required to travel as part of their duties will receive reimbursement for travel at the rate established by Montana law.  When an employee is required to travel as part of his/her duties, time spent in travel shall count as hours worked, including travel from one worksite to another and travel which is required outside the employee's normal workday.  This reimbursement will not include traveling to meetings such as Professional Learning Communities or training opportunities.  This reimbursement will not include traveling between a school day paraprofessional position to a SACC program position.

  • Change to what is in practice:

  • Article 12(e)--Vacancies:  Posting consists of placing the position on the District website. and sending the posting notice via electronic mail to one HEA representative at each building as designated by the Association President.  Problems associated with posting positions should be brought to the attention of the Association President. The District may generate and distribute a general recruitment posting to media and other sources for recruitment of a pool of potential applicants from outside the District for possible employment.

  • Definition of Highly Qualified:

  • Para Educators who meet the Title 1, highly qualified requirements (completed two years of study at an institution of higher education, obtained an associate’s (or higher) degree, or successful completion of the Paraprofessionals Achieving Standards Successfully (PASS) training) will earn an additional .30 .65 cents an hour.


We have also agreed to revisit the rules for FMLA this spring.  We are looking at perhaps reorganizing the salary schedule, as we go forward with 2024-2025 bargaining.  


We will hold two information meetings next week via Zoom, one on Monday, January 8, from 5:30-6:30, one on Wednesday, January 10, from 6:30-7:30.  I will send an invite the morning of each meeting.


We will vote on Tuesday, January 16-Wednesday, January 17 via Frontline.  I will send reminders.


We are recommending a YES vote on this contract.


Looking forward to answering all of your questions on one of the Zoom meetings.


Jane

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