2021-2022 CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
2021-2022 CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022
INSTRUCTIONAL
This evening the USEP and District Instructional Bargaining Teams reached a tentative agreement for the 2021-2022 Instructional Master Contract. Throughout the process, the District was proposing one-time supplements for this year while our members communicated to us through surveys that actual recurring raises were important to them. To the best of our ability, despite lower-than-expected funding from the state, we reached a tentative agreement that will allow teachers to put additional money in their paycheck. Under this agreement, each teacher will receive a one-time lump sum supplement equal to 4% of their salary, and the base teacher salary will be raised to $45,200 in accordance with state statute. Additionally, the District has agreed to utilize $7 million or 2.69% of the Instructional payroll for next year to provide raises that will start on the first day of the teacher contract for next school year (August 3, 2022) in accordance with the state’s Teacher Salary Increase Allocation. The agreement also includes the continuation of our fully funded employee benefits package ($7,432.56 per employee) and the Board will cover the increased cost of Florida Retirement System contributions (overall increase of $2,013,348).
USEP and the District have agreed to return to the bargaining table immediately after the ratification of the 2021-2022 contract to begin negotiating additional salary improvements for 2022-2023. USEP would like to thank the members of the USEP Instructional Bargaining team for all their challenging work!
SCHOOL RELATED PERSONNEL
USEP and the District have reached agreement for the 2021-2022 school year. Although the District had not moved from their position that there are no recurring dollars for 2021-2022 in the last three passes and it had spent all that was available when they offered the 4% supplement for all, they did come to the table tonight with an increase for those who make the least in the District. USEP and the District agreed to the 4% supplement and additionally the parties agreed to a guaranteed minimum for all SRP. The minimum for SRP shall be $700.00 for all six- hour plus employees and $350.00 for all employees below 6 hours. All SRP employees for whom the 4% supplement is more than $750.00 shall still receive the 4%.
In addition, the language states that the parties would immediately open the 2022-2023 contract year to begin to bargain additional recurring raises to deal with compression as we move towards the $15.00 per hour minimum requirement beginning October 2022.