Roseville Teachers Settle For Near Pay Freeze Through 2013

Teacher pay rates in Roseville Area Schools will stay virtually frozen through 2013 after the teachers union, Education Minnesota, reached an agreement with the district following contract talks that began in April 2011.

The agreement, unanimously approved by the Roseville Area Schools’ board at its Tuesday meeting, comes at a time of economic turmoil for the state.

“Contracts like this don’t happen without trust,” board member William Majerus said. “Kudos to our teachers association. Their heart is with our kids. They’ve made some sacrifices that will put us in a position to do good things for kids.”

Robert Rygh, district director of operations, said that the total salary cost to the district will increase by less than one-half of one percent, though individual teachers will be eligible for “steps and lanes” pay increases for attaining higher levels of education or more years of service.

“If you’ve heard the word freeze before, a soft freeze, that’s what the teachers accepted for both years,” Rygh said. “We don’t get what we want—nobody does. But we know that we’ve been heard, we know that it’s been fair.”

The teachers union approved the agreement on March 5 and by reportedly an overwhelming majoritoy,  Rygh said.