Schools
Latest Mediation Session Between West Bloomfield Teachers, District Yields No Resolution
The West Bloomfield Education Association went public with claims that it offered three different, new contract proposals left on the bargaining table.
The West Bloomfield Education Association went public Thursday with what President Kim Pilarski said is a newly created, two-year, collective bargaining agreement proposal from the WBEA to save the district $3.7 million.
According to Pilarski, the proposal was the third presented by the WBEA at a mediation session held Thursday and left on the table by the West Bloomfield School District after the district’s rejection of two-year deals generating savings of $2.4 and $2.8 million for the district’s budget.
The third proposal, which Pilarski said would save the district $3.7 million, includes concessions not previously mentioned on a proposal from the WBEA based in a fact finding report submitted Dec. 21 by Michael P. Long, a neutral labor expert selected by the State Board of Education.
Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to Pilarski, the WBEA’s third offer included one scheduled furlough day in the first year and another in the second year, as opposed to an offer for two furlough days in the 2011-12 school year as mentioned in the report. She said that the third offer also includes a three percent off-schedule pay cut in the first year and a $1,650 off-schedule salary cut for all members in the second year while the fact finding report suggested a zero percent wage increase for the ‘11-12 school year.
Pilarski also mentioned that in the event that the state of Michigan imposes a health care contribution or pay cut for teacher, during the life of the contract that the state mandated cuts will replace the $1,650 off-schedule cut and that the offer of a $20 co-pay for medical expenses will be removed.
Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
While a resolution has not been reached, the district could not be received for comment. At a “” meeting open to the public Thursday morning, Superintendent JoAnn Andrees spoke to a room of district parents regarding the possibility of an imposed contract, which the district officially has the right to do.
“It’s not something we want,” she said. “Negotiations have not worked.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
