The AMU Bargaining Team finalized negotiation The AMU Bargaining Team finalized negotiations on May 7th, 2018 and the contract was ratified on May 24th, 2018.  In summary, AMU members will see the following changes in the contract. 

 

Grievance Procedures

The number of days for each level in the grievance process has been standardized to 10 work days and clarifying calendar vs. work days, where work days are defined as a day when the GD Home Office is open.  Previously, the number of days for each step varied from 7-15 days.  Also, the mediation step in the grievance process has been moved to come before the appeal with the Board of Directors step.  Previously, the mediation step came after the appeal with the Board of Directors step, which left the mediation step limited in options. 

 

Leave Provisions

The contract now allows for member to member donation of days beyond the current parental leave provisions to include a newly defined catastrophic leave provision.  This is adding a benefit was previously not defined in the contract. 

 

Also, a definition of catastrophic leave and the creation of a catastrophic leave “bank” that members can donate to and receive days from has been added to the contract.  The catastrophic leave bank is an optional opportunity members now have access to that provides an additional leave in the case of a “catastrophic” illness or injury. 

 

Evaluation

The evaluation will see the following changes.  Coaching activities (data analysis, co–planning) will now be offered as a part of the informal observation.  The Counselor Evaluation has been added into the contract, previously it was a signed MOU.  The College Ready Teaching Framework has been revised by the work of the CRTF Revision Committee which has reduced it to 20 indicators.  As a result, the progression of evaluated indicators for Groups 1, 2, and 3 has been updated.  The lesson plan template has also been updated as a result.

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Compensation

Two memoranda of understanding were incorporated into the contract.  One is the Salary Schedule Column Advancement which allows for credentialed teachers to move to column 3 if they do not have 30 credits beyond a Bachelor’s degree.  The second is the Paycheck Schedule and Summer Savings Option, with Summer Savings as the default option.  This increases the number of pay periods from 22 to 23 so that new teachers who start in July will be paid on August 10.  Members may opt out of summer savings.  The two options will be 24 pay with summer savings or 23 pay with no summer savings.

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The step and column will see the following increases over the next three years:

 

• Effective July 1, 2018, the salary schedule shall increase by three and one-half percent (3.5%) and steps 15-19 shall be added to Column 6 only with the following advancements: step 14 – 0%, step 15 – 1.5%, step 16 – 0%, step 17 – 1.5%, step 18 – 0%, step 19 – 1.5%. 

• Effective July 1, 2019, the salary schedule shall increase by one and one-quarter percent (1.25%). 

• Effective July 1, 2020, the salary schedule shall increase by three and one- quarter percent (1.25%).

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On behalf of the Bargaining Committee, we would like to thank you for your support over the past school year.  We realize we were not able to address all the priorities expressed in the bargaining survey, but will continue to listen to your voices and bargain changes that will positively impact your experience working at Green Dot and being part of AMU. 

 

 

Benjamin West

AMU Bargaining Chair