TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

District, Union Have Tentative Contract

ADVERTISEMENT

By RONNIE BLAIR, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 21, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - Teachers would receive pay raises averaging 4.05 percent under a tentative contract agreement reached between the Pasco County School District and the union representing school employees.

Other school employees, such as cafeteria workers, custodians and bus drivers, would receive raises averaging 4.42 percent.

Those percentages, though, include step increases that were paid at the beginning of the school year, making the raises over the step increase about 2.5 percent, said Lynne Webb, president of United School Employees of Pasco.

The proposed contract settlement was reached Monday.

Webb told the school board Tuesday night that information about the settlement is on the union's Web site, and some employees are letting it be known they are disappointed.

A statewide revenue shortfall led to the less than desirable settlement, Webb said. Pasco and other school districts are bracing for even more cuts in state funding.

The contract still must be ratified by the employees and approved by the school board.

The board is scheduled to vote Dec. 3. Its vote will be contingent on ratification by the employees, who are to vote Dec. 6. Their ballots will be counted Dec. 10.

"We have a very aggressive timeline set to ratify these contracts," Webb said.

That's because teachers and other school employees entered this academic year working under last year's contract. The raises will be retroactive to July 1 and the goal is to have the contract approved before the winter break, which starts Dec. 24.

Under the agreement, starting pay for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree would be $36,420, up from $35,300.

Webb noted that for the past eight to 10 years, the district and the union have worked to make salaries competitive with Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

"This if the first time in a long time we have truly fallen behind," she said.

Webb said she is concerned about how well the district will be able to compete as it tries to recruit teachers.

In Hillsborough, starting salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree is $37,112 a year. In Pinellas, the starting pay is $37,300.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT