TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

School Contract In Limbo

ADVERTISEMENT

By RONNIE BLAIR

rblair@tampatrib.com

Published: December 5, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Just two weeks before they leave for winter break, teachers and other school employees in Pasco County still don't have a contract for the 2008-09 academic year.

They might not get one any time soon, either.

It could be late January before a special magistrate holds a hearing to deal with an impasse in contract negotiations between the Pasco County School District and United School Employees of Pasco.

Lynne Webb, president of the union, said there's nothing to keep the two sides from talking and solving their differences before that hearing happens, though.

She told the Pasco County School Board this week that the two sides plan to continue to communicate in an effort to bring the negotiations to a conclusion.

The union and the district already tried mediation, but after a full day before a mediator Nov. 20, they couldn't come to terms.

In most years, the school district and the union agree on a contract before the academic year begins.
Contract negotiations stalled this year, though, as the district dealt with a tight budget and faced a multi-million-dollar shortfall. The same thing has been happening across the state, where many districts have failed to reach agreements with their employees.

In Pasco, that means the employees have been working without raises or the annual step increases they usually receive. Step increases are pay raises that are usually automatic and are based on years of service and, for teachers, advanced degrees.

Many school employees have been pessimistic for weeks about their chances of getting raises. Now the school board, which has another budget workshop scheduled for Dec. 16, has raised the possibility of layoffs as one way to address declining revenue.

As of Nov. 11, the school district faces an $8.7 million shortfall and the situation is expected to get worse. The state has told school districts to prepare for more budget cuts over the next six months.

Those cuts likely would cost Pasco another $10 million to $15 million, Olga Swinson, the district's chief finance officer, told the school board this week.

That's the equivalent of 320 to 440 jobs, she said. Paying step increases this year, she said, would cost $5.2 million, which is equal to 188 jobs.

The union sent an e-mail to its members this week saying it plans to meet with Superintendent Heather Fiorentino and district administrators to suggest ideas for budget priorities and cost-saving measures.

The union's goal is to avoid layoffs, the e-mail said.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT