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School District, Union Agree To Delay Annual Pay Raises

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 1, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - The annual step increases in pay for Pasco County School District employees will be postponed for at least a month as negotiators for the employees' union and the school district wait to get a better handle on the budget.

"We're not even going to discuss that matter any more until the end of July, until we get better financial information," Terry Rhum, the district's director of employee relations, said Monday.

The school district and negotiators for United School Employees of Pasco agreed to postpone the pay increases and discussions about them during negotiations Monday.

Teachers and other school employees receive the step increases, which are annual pay raises based on years of service.

Rhum said that in the next few weeks the district's finance department will be closing down the 2007-08 fiscal year, which ended Monday, and the financial picture for 2008-09 should become clearer.

Lynne Webb, president of United School Employees of Pasco, reported last week that the union recommended the step increases be postponed until July 31 while both sides in the contract negotiations got a better handle on the district's financial resources.

The district, which had wanted the step increases postponed until negotiations were over and the contract ratified, rejected the union proposal then, she had said.

Rhum said negotiations on other issues are scheduled to resume next week.

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

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