Teachers' Union, School Committee Approve New 3-Year Contract

After an exhaustive series of negotiations since June of 2010, including time in mediation and arbitration, the Portsmouth School Committee and the National Education Association (NEA) Portsmouth reached a three-year agreement for fiscal years 2010-2013 Tuesday night.

The deal was approved during the school committee meeting held in the auditorium.   

Although both school staff in the audience and committee members applauded the unanimous vote to approve the motion, the contract does not come without a cost. The cumulative cost of the new contract over the three years is $983,871, which includes retroactive pay increases.

The cost of retirement benefits is expected to triple over the life of the contract, from an annual cost of $35,118 in 2010 to $112,171 in 2012.

“The percentages that we are using are based on what we think is the worst case scenario that has been described by the treasurer’s office and others, that our percentages [will be] increasing by 50 percent due to the huge outstanding unfunded liability and what would cost all the cities and towns to pay their share,” said Portsmouth school finance director Mark Dunham.

Despite these expenses, Dunham reported that the new contract will introduce an estimated $735,845 in cumulative savings in health insurance costs.

Portsmouth has taken advantage of the recently enacted legislation by the Rhode Island General Assembly that allows municipalities the option to require retirees to move to medicare for health benefits once they are age eligible.

The committee stated that Medicare supplemental insurance will be available to the retirees, with the premium paid either by the retiree or the school distract as determined through an administrative process.

In addition, employee health and dental contributions will increase from 13 percent to 18 percent and a new $250 annual deductible will reduce premiums for both employees and the taxpayers.

Committee member Jonathan Harris highlighted changes to the pay step scale that will change from a 10 step scale to an 11 step scale.  

“This allows for smoothing out of some significant increases in step wages in certain years of the prior step scale,” Harris said.  

Employees will receive a retroactive step increase for the 2010 school year.

For 2011, steps 1 through 10 will receive a step advance, and step 11 will receive a 1 percent increase to the base. In 2012, all employees will receive a 1.25 percent increase to the base, as well as advance on the salary schedule.   

Other Highlighted Changes

• A sick leave bank will be established, where employees can donate their sick time to other employees;
• Option to move to Health Savings Account (HSA) plan in 2012-2013 after membership vote;
• Allow band and physical education courses to have class sizes up to 30 students to accommodate student scheduling needs;
• Class sizes will increase by one student in grades 2-12;
• Allow for 40 percent of planning time to be collaborative and administratively directed;
• Eliminates some unfair labor practice and grievances while holding other unfair labor practices in abeyance such as the  pending the determination of the Rhode Island Superior Court.

Also on the school committee's agenda Tuesday night: 

• The Portsmouth Baseball Diamond Club will make a donation valued at approximately $18,000 for work to be done on the Portsmouth High School Varsity Baseball Field;
• School Committee Policy Handbook Review changed out-of-date references and strengthened existing policies, such as the truancy policy;
• Although recently released SAT scored dipped in Rhode Island, regionally and nationally, the .