Dade teachers to board: Don´t slash our raises

BY KATHLEEN McGRORY
Saturday, June 28, 2008

The Miami-Dade teachers´ union said Friday that it would fight any efforts by the district to postpone or cancel salary increases promised to teachers.

Union officials made their position known two days after the School Board declared that the state has not provided adequate funding for next year. The board´s move opened the door for Superintendent Rudy Crew to negotiate the raises with the district´s unions.

United Teachers of Dade President Karen Aronowitz called the move “covert” and “inappropriate.” She said the union is considering taking legal action against the district.

“Are we really going to allow our professional educators to make up for this district´s shortfall?” Aronowitz asked. “Our community has to know that the budget cannot be balanced on the backs of the teachers.”

But district spokesman John Schuster said that no decision regarding adjusting the scheduled raises had been reached.

“All we´re saying is that we are available to begin negotiations,” Schuster said.

The salary increases are scheduled to go into effect on July 1. Postponing them could save the cash-strapped district up to $72 million.

Voting for the measure Wednesday were board Chairman Agustín Barrera, and members Evelyn Greer, Martin Karp, Solomon Stinson and Wilbert “Tee” Holloway.

Alternately, Crew could to declare a state of financial urgency, which would allow him to unilaterally postpone the raises. He has not yet done so, opting instead for the negotiations.

Aronowitz said Friday that she and other union leaders were skeptical of the negotiating process.

“You can´t call it a negotiation if you´ve already taken a position,” she said. “The district already has a budget and the budget does not include money for the negotiated salary increases.”

But Schuster, the district spokesman, said no budget arrangements were final.

“The budget has not yet been published and we are open to negotiating the salary increases,” he said.

Crew has said he is hopeful that the two sides will reach an agreement on the salary increases.

Aronowitz has asked district officials to begin talks Sunday.

“We´ll come to the table,” she said. “But we don´t trust the process.”

Wednesday´s vote also empowered the district to begin negotiating next year´s health insurance arrangements. District officials said they are planning to save up to $10 million this way, but have not addressed the specifics.

For the past six months, the board has been working to slice $284 million from next year´s budget.

So far, board members has made reductions totaling about half that amount. They have until mid-September to submit a budget to state education officials.

© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company