Pasco school pay deadline looms - St. Petersburg Times

The administration wants to stave off the expense of its contractually obligated annual raises for years of service, which run into the millions of dollars. But for noninstructional school-related personnel, such as custodians, the "step increases" would take effect Tuesday without some agreement to postpone them.

So even though the United School Employees of Pasco rejected its first request to delay the raises, the administration asked again. This time, the union met the district part way.

But district officials aren't sure whether they will accept the union's compromise position.

"I'm not sure it does us any good," employee relations director Terry Rhum said. "We'll consider it."

District leaders knew they faced a tough audience. The union made it clear in May that it expected the annual raises as part of the contract, which includes a pay schedule based solely on years of service.

Hundreds of employees wore black on the last day of classes to protest superintendent Heather Fiorentino's proposal to halt the steps and freeze wages.

It agreed to hold through July 31 or whenever the district determines which bid it will accept for health insurance, whichever comes first.

The insurance package will be a "big piece" of the end result, USEP negotiator Jim Ciadella said. He declined to discuss the union's proposal any further, though, saying he did not want to negotiate in the newspaper.

"It's going to go up," Rhum said of the insurance premium, which are still under review by the district insurance committee. "We don't know exactly what it's going to be, but it's not going to be insignificant."

Fiorentino has signaled that if the sides can't reach an agreement on the step increases, she is likely to recommend an increase in employee contributions to the benefits package. The School Board has scheduled an executive session for 10:30 a.m. today to discuss the negotiations.

Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at solochek@sptimes.com or (813) 909-4614. For more education news, visit the Gradebook at blogs.tampabay.com/schools.

Comments on this article

by disgusted	Jul 2, 2008 6:19 PM
Education is always the first hit. That's why the educators are paid so little, and why so many of the best leave education. It's pathetic! However, the district will watch out for their "pets" and promote undeserving to higher positions.

by Public Ed	Jun 30, 2008 7:14 PM
Frank..Pasco already outsources the lawncare in the district! Just Wondering.. Educate yourself on this issue by reading the post by patcon on Pasco union accuses district of "bad faith" HF break loose with some of that 120 mill and pay your peeps!

by arthur	Jun 30, 2008 4:46 PM
I am a teacher who would love to work more than my 196 contracted days AND GET PAID FOR THEM. As it is, I work at least 2 extra hours daily and spend many Saturdays doing work related errands. Your kids are lucky to have teachers like me.

by Heidi	Jun 27, 2008 5:26 PM
Just Wondering, merit pay (STAR, etc.) $ could not be used to fund step increases, & if implemented would have only affected about 25% of teachers based largely on FCAT scores. That's why we voted it down. We want to teach, not do test prep all year!

by Just Wondering	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
Hey teachers are you forgetting YOU - not the administrators or the Supt voted NOT to go with MERIT Pay. Now you cry because you are not getting pay raises (step, cost of living) whatever you call it. You get what YOU voted for.

by Robert	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
Thanks Gov Take money from ed and buy sugar company. H. F. why dont you take a pay cut maybe your buddy Mr Bush will give you another job

by Frank	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
I watched one non-educational school district cut the same grass five times during the past week. This is a huge waste of desperately needed money, fire these useless employees, outsource most work like grass cutting and save the taxpayers and the

by pat	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
USEP is NOT suggesting starting on the slippery slope of giving up employer-paid health care. We DON'T know there isn't money to do both just because HF says so. HF hasn't always told the truth about District finances. Public employees, NOT servants.

by Fine with me	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
Fine...I'm a Pasco teacher. You can keep my pitiful step increase. I'll drop my clubs, not go to Open House, won't grade papers at home anymore, and refuse to do anything outside of the bare minimum. Have fun!

by LB	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
Teachers work is not the same as other Govt. jobs These individuals spend the day with over 100 students your children, their education will be compromised? Because it will Teacher will have to stil pay for material out of pocket give them the raise

by Pasco Parent	Jun 27, 2008 11:36 AM
The interest on the $120,000,000 that the School Board has in the bank would easily pay the step increases (1% of the budget) for the teachers and allow for the insurance as well. Stop hoarding the money and pay the employees their due!!!

by Lauren	Jun 26, 2008 7:04 PM
What the union fails to realize is that they don't speak for the average employee. We do NOT want to pay more for health insurance because they want to politically posture when they know there isn't money to do both. Shame on the union!

by Teacher	Jun 26, 2008 6:56 PM
Hold education harmless. That was Crist's promise. The children of Florida are going to carry the burden of Crist's lying.

by Frank	Jun 26, 2008 6:46 PM
Its about time the taxpayers stood up to these unions that are stealing education money from the kids, let em strike and then try and get a job in the private sector. who needs em, we sure don't.

by Anne's Brilliant	Jun 26, 2008 6:41 PM
You want to be considered a public servant like police, sheriff office, firefighters, EMS. Well guess who is having staff cuts and also are not getting raises. It’s them. So why are you better than the other public servants? HF don't give in!

by Pasco	Jun 26, 2008 6:41 PM
I work for the S.O. and we're not getting raises just like the Dept of Corrections and probably any other gov't agency. Plus we work more than 196 days a year. The teachers should be glad they still have their jobs.

by Katie	Jun 26, 2008 6:40 PM
Wait until its re-election time for HF. Hope she has something else in mind. Why doesn't she show the teachers by example? My kids teachers were always what I hoped they would be. If there wasn't teachers; there would be no other professions!

by Pasco Teacher	Jun 26, 2008 6:36 PM
I am a Pasco County teacher and personally, I would rather the board pay for my insurance than the step increase because it is all going to balance out in the end. If you get the step increase it will end up paying the extra insurance. Think about it

by ratherpaybennies	Jun 26, 2008 6:35 PM
Give the raise and make all employees pay for part of benefits. There are alternatives to dist.hlth ins:spouses can carry employee,kids can go on other indiv. plan much cheaper than district cost,some forgo insr. No Pay increase affects pensions.

by pat	Jun 26, 2008 6:08 PM
USEP is willing to compromise and delay a legally-binding pay raise, but HF says that's not good enough??? I forgot, in HF's dictionary "negotiate" means "do what I want".

by Pascoteacher	Jun 26, 2008 5:40 PM
Notice the words "contractually obligated". This is not a giant raise. For many teachers, it's around $350. It's the principle of the thing. Support your local teachers!

by State employee	Jun 26, 2008 5:00 PM
I haven't received my raise for two years and I work 260 working days a year. Why should people who get paid for 196 get raises.

by Anne	Jun 26, 2008 4:56 PM
What makes us special is that we perform a public service, just like police, sheriff, firefighters, EMS, and the like. We are always expected to take the cuts and poor pay without complaint, and do our jobs from the goodness of our hearts. Would you?

by toni	Jun 26, 2008 4:49 PM
Why is it that board members never consider their salary as something that can be cut? Let them volunteer a few hours like the teachers do. They make much more for MUCH fewer hours. Ask a teacher who paid for the materials on the walls. The teach

by ashamed citizen	Jun 26, 2008 4:49 PM
I astounds me that as gas and everything else is going up by the minute, you would take money out of the pockets of the teachers who teach your children. Teachers who give back much of the money for classroom expenses, volunteer tutor and chaparone

by What does HF want?	Jun 26, 2008 4:41 PM
The current contract obligates the District to pay a small increase effective July 1 until a new contract is agreed upon. USEP has agreed to forego this increase temporarily until the health insurance cost is known. But this is not enough for HF.

by Teacher	Jun 26, 2008 4:39 PM
Many Many families have multiple partners working in the school system. This proposal for benefits unfairly targets those people. We will now both take a pay cut, none the less not getting a step. That is going to impact my family hard!

by JIM	Jun 26, 2008 4:23 PM
what makes them special, every body else is cutting back on personel and they want raises, give me a break. after the cut backs they are lucky to have an teaching job. if it was up to me no pay raises at this time, either raises or there jobs