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Schools, Union Reach Deal

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By RONNIE BLAIR

rblair@tampatrib.com

Published: December 18, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - The moment was "kind of bittersweet" for Lynne Webb, president of United School Employees of Pasco.

The good news was that the Pasco County School District and the union finally reached a tentative contract agreement Tuesday after six months of negotiations.

But Webb said the result isn't something that's going to make her go home and drink champagne.

Under the proposed contracts, salaries for teachers and other school workers would be stuck at their 2007-08 levels. There would be no raises or step increases, although employees would be given a year of credit for their service.

"This is the 11th contract negotiation I've been in charge of, and it's probably the least favorable settlement we've had," Webb told the school board Tuesday night.

Both sides agree on the culprit: The school district's dire financial situation that could get worse before it gets better.

Still, the settlement could bring some peace of mind to employees as they go into the holidays, Webb said.

The contracts - one for instructional employees and one for other school workers - still must be ratified by the employees and approved by the school board. That process won't happen until after the school district's winter break, which begins Monday.

Under the agreement, the school district would continue fully funding health benefits for employees, which will include paying a $191 increase in cost per employee. Employees will continue to pay to insure their family members.

The district and the union also agreed to create a budgetary committee that they hope will make future negotiations run more smoothly.

For a while, this year's negotiations were at a near standstill. The union declared an impasse in November and a special master was assigned to hear the case. That impasse hearing, scheduled for January, now won't happen.

The two sides also tried mediation, with no success.

After the school board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss the negotiations, Terry Rhum, the district's employee relations director, asked the union's negotiators to meet again in a "last-ditch effort" to find a resolution.

Jim Ciadella and Robert Benjamin, the union's chief negotiators, agreed to the meeting and the tentative pact was reached. Ciadella said the union hopes the settlement will help the district avoid layoffs.

"I can't sit and tell you we are ecstatic over the financial situation we all find ourselves in," Ciadella said.

For most of the negotiations, raises and step increases were still a goal for the union's negotiating team.

Ciadella and Benjamin said that began to change in the past few weeks. Employees became more concerned about preserving their jobs and their health benefits in the faltering economy. They let the union negotiators know that.

"Things are looking pretty bad for the coming year as budget reductions continue to unfold before us," Benjamin said.

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

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