The following Community Matters post, “Signed, Sealed and Delivered … Radnor Twp School District & Teachers Union Ink 3-year Contract with Salary Increase … Is there handwriting on the wall for T/E Teachers?” is from March 23, 2011.
A year ago, the Radnor Township School District signed a 3-year contract with their teachers union( RTEA) that was surprising, given the economic situation of the times. Fast forward to 2012, and T/E is in the midst of their own contract negotiations. This post and the attached comments from a year ago, make for an interesting commentary to compare and contrast where we are in our own teacher negotiation process. Can we learn anything from the decisions of our neighboring school district?
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“Signed, Sealed and Delivered … Radnor Twp School District & Teachers Union Ink 3-year Contract with Salary Increase … Is there handwriting on the wall for T/E Teachers?”
~ Community Matters, March 23, 2011
It is now official, Radnor Township School District and the teachers union, Radnor Township Education Association (RTEA) have voted to approve three-year contract, September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2013. Below are some of the highlights of the contract.
Salary Highlights:
Salary freeze September 1, 2010 – March 3, 2011 (6 months)
Year One Salary:
- No step movement
- Average pay increase after freeze: 1.57%
- Top salary step remains at current level
- Average lump-sum payment for top salary step: $749
Year Two Salary:
- RTEA members move to next step
- Average pay increase: 3.26%
- Top salary step remains at current level
- Average lump-sum payment for top salary step: $1,206
Year Three Salary:
- RTEA members move to next step
- Modest increase to top salary step
- Average pay increase: 2.66%
Health Benefits Highlights:
- RTEA members agreed to significant increase in the cost of health insurance
- Stating March 4, 2011, teachers move from fixed contribution to a percentage-based contribution
- Year One – salary contribution 0.75% – 1.5%
- Year Two – health care plan changes from Blue Cross to lesser premium-cost plan, with increase co-pays doctor and hospital visits (salary contribution 0.85% – 1.5%)
- Year Three – salary contribution 0.95% – 1.65%
Retirement Option:
- Eligible teachers will receive a one-time retirement payment from $25K – $50K (depending on number of retirees). The retirement option is in effect for limited time to allow district to reduce payroll.
OK, so looking at the contract inked between the Radnor Township School District and RTEA, is the handwriting on the wall for T/E School District? So much for Gov. Corbett’s recommendation for a one-year freeze . . . Radnor’s teacher union only agreed to a 6-month freeze. However, after the 6-month salary freeze, the teacher union pulled off 7.5% salary increase for the following 2 ½ years of the contract.
Remember, if a teacher qualifies for a step increase, his or her salary increase would actually be higher than the average yearly salary increase. Radnor’s teachers contract is remarkable given today’s economy and budget shortfalls!