Burlington teachers will go on strike Wednesday unless their contract battle with the city school board is resolved.
Teachers voted to strike Thursday afternoon. The move escalated the tension in a messy labor dispute and created uncertainty for parents of the city’s 3,700 public school students.
“Moments ago, my fellow members and I voted to authorize a strike beginning on September 13 if the board fails to come back to the table and stay there until we reach an agreement for a contract covering this school year,” said Fran Brock, Burlington Education Association president, in a press release issued late Thursday afternoon.
Brock, a Burlington High School history teacher, lashed out at the board for imposing contract terms last Friday and also accused the board of neglecting student needs.
“We are done standing by while a shrinking percentage of the district’s budgets goes to student instruction. And we are done standing by while this board prefers condescension over collaboration,” Brock said in her statement.
Board chair Mark Porter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Battle lines have been drawn over raises and health care, as well as direct instruction time.
The board disagrees with the union’s assessment of the situation. Members have said they are trying to increase instruction time to pull underperforming students up to grade level — with resistance from the union.
The board voted 9-1 to impose a contract for the 2017-2018 school year that offered an average $1,702 raise for teachers, representing a percentage increase of about 2.4 percent.
Burlington teachers earned an average of about $69,000 last year. Top pay was $84,750 and entry level pay was just more than $43,565.
Teachers rejected the imposed terms.
Over the course of some 17 contract meetings, the board developed a number of charts that suggested recent teacher raises and local school taxes have outpaced what taxpayers can afford.
This year’s strike vote echoes the discord that soured that start of the school year in 2016, when the board also imposed a contract and teachers took a strike vote. But at the last minute, the two sides were able to hash out a one-year agreement and there was no strike.
It’s unclear how things will play out this year.
Brock said teachers truly want a solution.
“We don’t want to strike; no one ever does,” she said. “What we want is for this school board to recognize our determination for a contract that works to keep the very best teachers so our city’s children can thrive.”
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I very much like our BSD teachers and think they should be very well compensated. The point of this post is not to judge, simply provide facts re BSD pay structure. Below is what weve gathered from the BSD and from the State Retirement Board(800-642-3191) assuming a 30 year service career:
Approximately 35% of the Burlington School Budget goes to working teachers(excludes spec ed).
BSD is spending ~$24k per student (includes preschool).
Average salary annual ~ 69k (Start salary ~ $43k, End salary ~ 80k).
Rest of Life Retirement Salary Annual (pension) ~40k per year (~ 0.0167×30 years x 80k (salary final 3 years)).
403B Annual Tax Fee retirement contribution $16k per year prior to age 50, $24k post age 50.
Work Days = 210 days work/50 days off (excludes weekends, assumes a few summer weeks work).
Unused Sick Days = Can Be Saved For Retirement And Paid Out In Retirement(this needs to be checked).
Average Annual Mandatory 5% Pension Contribution = 3.4 k per year (tax deferred).
Rest of Life Medical Insurance = Blue Cross, retiree pays $165 per month (covers rates controlled by ObamaCare 80/20 Rule).
Thanks for reading my posts and for trying to summarize them.
To clarify:
I don’t feel we should give teachers “whatever they want” but I don’t begrudge them for making the money they do.
I am not against downtown development, just one that creates student housing, parking, and retail stores. I see no substantial, long term jobs being creating with the Sinex/Weinberger project.
I do feel employers in Vermont as a whole pay significantly less than employers in other areas while the cost of living here is comparable to those other areas.
Thank you again for taking such an interest in my posts.
Thanks for the deep analysis that Vermont needs “better paying jobs.”
While you insist that we pay the teachers whatever they demand.
And while you oppose job creation and housing development in downtown Burlington.
That’s all very, very helpful.
I’m not at all saying demand better pay from your current job. Thanks for reading, though.
Currently there is not much supply of “better paying jobs”. This has to change.
Philo’s argument that we should all just demand better pay at our current jobs or, if those demands don’t work, just go out and find better paying jobs, all the while applauding and supporting the ever-increasing pay and benefit demands of teachers is the very reason why resentment is building against teachers in this state.
Yes, Philo, many of us do have advance degrees and our professions require CEU’s for us to maintain our license/credentials/positions. We don’t have three and a half weeks paid vacation between Christmas and the end of April, plus at least six weeks off during the summer. We don’t work seven or seven and a half hour days, but rather we work nine and ten hour days, often taking work home with us at the end of the day.
Oh, and VTreehugger, the next time your plumbing is in need of repair, I suggest you call a teacher. After all, in your world there is no need for plumbers.
Fire them all!!!!!! There are many good teachers out there that would take the job in a heart beat. Teachers don’t teach anymore they just get kids ready to pass state test and they fail at that!!!
Try busting your ass behind a big piece of equipment all day or working in the elements!!!!!!
I don’t feel sorry for any of you!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes. Philo really should outline his entire political strategy for bringing better paying jobs to Vermont within the 300 word limit he is given even though he is likely not a politician.