Schools

Teachers Union 'Not Optimistic' About Ongoing Negotiations with Brighton Area Schools

Teachers and other staff are bracing for reduced salaries and benefits as the district tries to cut down the deficit.

The clock is ticking down toward the expiration of Brighton teachers' contracts on Aug. 31, and the tension started to show at Monday night's Brighton Board of Education meeting.

At least a dozen teachers attended the meeting and a few spoke out against plans to cut teacher salaries and benefits. After the meeting, Brighton Education Association President Ellen Lafferty expressed her concerns about the ongoing contract negotiations with the Board.

"People were here because it's really starting to hit hard," Lafferty, who represents the teachers union, said of the negotiations. 

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In the  for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Brighton proposed an overall 17.5 percent decrease in salaries and a 21.2 percent decrease in benefits for employees across the board. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Maria Gistinger has said that those numbers are what the district expects to get out of its negotiations.

With those reductions, the district is still projected to carry a $4.6 million deficit at the end of the year, which will be a decrease from the $7.9 million deficit at the end of the last fiscal year that ended June 30.

Find out what's happening in Brightonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 teacher Peter O'Neil addressed the Board during public comments. He said that he knows the Board has a tough job in dealing with the cuts to education mandated in the current state budget, but if the sides can't work together, there will be a cost to the community.

After he spoke, Brighton resident Carol Wilcox came to the defense of the Board, saying there isn't much the school district can do for the unions.

"We're the only deficit district in the entire county," she said. "There is nothing more to give."

Lafferty said she's not very optimistic about the negotiations currently. She said because of the district's proposed cuts, she suggested that teachers and personnel look into finding second jobs. Lafferty said the sides are still quarreling over wages, benefits and class sizes.

Lafferty wouldn't comment on whether the sides will hire a mediator or if they'll go on strike if a deal isn't made by the current contracts' expiration.

The district is also in negotiations with the Brighton Area Schools Administrators Association, who represent principals and other administrators, and the Brighton Education Support Personnel Association, who represent support staff like secretaries and groundskeepers.

During the meeting, the Board also announced that a special meeting will be held next Monday at 7 p.m. at the for the purpose of recalling staff.

Lafferty said that the Board will most likely rehire teachers and other staff that had already been laid off by the district. Lafferty said she was surprised at the announcement of the special meeting, saying that the recall was earlier than usual, considering that class sizes have not been determined yet.

Other action by the Board included:

  • Approval to renew the contract for the police liaison officer from the Brighton Police Department until June 2012.
  • Approval to add school to the district's , which allows district teachers to work in private schools.
  • Approved the retirements of special education teacher Nancy Sornson and special education teacher Margaret Regruth. Both teachers were with the district for 17 years.
  • Approved the unpaid leave of absence request for 3rd grade teacher Elizabeth Shaieb. She is departing for a year to take care of her newborn daughter, and plans to return for the 2012-2013 school year.


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