M-DCPS OFFERS UTD THREE PERCENT ACROSS-THE-BOARD PAY INCREASE


More teachers will receive significant increases under districtís proposal

September 30, 2003


Miami-Dade County Public Schoolsí labor negotiations team today proposed to United Teachers of Dade (UTD) a three percent salary increase for the entire bargaining unit.

"Credit must be given to the School Board for increasing the bargaining reserve from $37 million to $45 million through the adoption of this year's budget," Merrett R. Stierheim, M-DCPS superintendent, said. "This allowed us to present this proposal to UTD."

The three percent across-the-board increase would benefit all employees in the UTD bargaining unit, which represents more than 21,000 teachers and 6,000 office employees and school support personnel.

Under the current teacher salary schedule, a one step increase for the ten thousand teachers in steps one through eight would average $303. By contrast, a three percent across-the-board increase for those same ten thousand teachers would generate an average increase of $1,022.Ý In addition, the UTD has asked for a thousand dollar increase for 3,564 teachers who are at the top step of the teacher salary schedule (Step 22). The district's proposed three percent increase would provide $1,759 for those same teachers.

The three percent proposal is in addition to the annual $850 approved by the School Board to all teachers' base salaries.

"From day one, the district's goal has been to treat all employees in the school system equally and fairly when it comes to salary increases," Stierheim said. "For some time the UTD has created an atmosphere of expectations that cannot be fulfilled. If the district were to approve the two-step and other benefits demanded by UTD, it would eliminate entirely the $45 million reserve for collective bargaining and wipe out salary increases for all other employees."

"As it stands now, 78 percent of our teachers will fare better under the district's proposal than a one step increase," Stierheim said. "This is a significant offer. We hope that union leaders will review it objectively with their membership and report back at our next bargaining session.

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03-MV/044/JJS

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