Cairo Association of Teachers

Cairo Association of Teachers - Negotiations

Key Dates & Updates

August 22, 2002 - Rescheduled Regular School Board Meeting - 5 p.m. - BOE ratifies contract by a 6 - 0 vote.

August 15, 2002 - General Membership Meeting - CHS Cafeteria at 2:30 p.m. - Discuss Tentative Agreement and Conduct Ratification Vote - Majority of members vote to accept tentative agreement.

July 26, 2002 - Thirty-Fifth Negotiations Session - 10:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. - The day began on a testy note...kind of a carry over from the rhetoric that dominated the Board of Education's press release to The Cairo Citizen last week. In fact, within the first hour, the meeting almost ended when the Board team dropped the fourth year from their proposal and expected us to settle for what was offered last May 23rd. After a caucus, we told the Board team that we had to have "something" to take back to the membership..."something" to show for losing 17 days of pay. A "supposal" was made and a dialogue began...a dialogue that produced a tentative agreement. Among the terms, a salary schedule will be developed that will include the 4.25% from last year, plus a step, plus another 2%. There will NOT be lump-sum retroactive pay...the additional salary will be distributed in your regular 24 paychecks. A general membership meeting will be held the first day of school...August 15th. Following a question-and-answer session, a ratification vote will be conducted.

July 18, 2002 - The Cairo Citizen runs a story...a "press release" attributed the Cairo Board of Education...attacking the CAT for being unreasonable and praising itself for its (rejected) attempts at generosity.

July 3, 2002 - Board mails its counter to the CAT's proposal of June 25th.

June 25, 2002 - The CAT had requested a face-to-face negotiations session for this date. Barney Mundorf faxed a letter stating that the Board would be unavailable until July 10th. The CAT...in order to expedite the process...decided to fax a proposal to the Board team on this date...and encouraged them to prepare a counter. Hopefully, a negotiations session will be set for the latter half of July.

May 29, 2002 - Last day of school - Board chooses to punish teachers and not make up any of 17 days missed due to strike.

May 23, 2002 - Thirty-Fourth Negotiations Session - 3:30 p.m. - Federal mediator Rick Tygett opens meeting with an appeal to both parties...two trains on the same track...rushing towards each other...asks that the two parties pause...reflect...try to find a resolution. Immediately following these remards, Board attorney/chief negotiator Barney Mundorf states "I see no resolution today" and proceeds to give the CAT bargaining team a four-year contract proposal that is worse than the three-year one(s) already rejected. The new Board proposal only contained provision for 5 make-up days. When the CAT team asked the Board's team whether they fully realized that they would be throwing away over $100,000 dollars if they chose not to make up the days, Barney stated "Yes, but the teachers stand to lose a whole lot more!" On that note, the face-to-face session of 12 minutes ended. Shortly thereafter, the federal mediator called off the session.

May 17, 2002 - Thirty-Third Negotiations Session - 2:00 p.m. - The Board team had requested this session...but they came in mad...and said that they had nothing to offer. Since the CAT had made the last three moves, we chose not to make further movement. Session lasted a total of 9 minutes.

May 16, 2002 - Parents, Teachers, and Community Pack Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m. - Over one hundred parents and teachers turn out to pressure Board of Education to resume negotiations with teachers - to end strike. Board President Joe Griggs closed down the public session when person after person spoke out in favor of the teachers and against the Board. Only two people spoke in favor of the Board...including former Board President Vernon Stubblefiled, who had some particularly ugly things to say about "greedy" teachers. CAT representatives were called into closed session...told that the Board team would meet with the CAT team tomorrow (May 17th). When parents heard this, they were not impressed...wanted negotiations to commence that very evening. The Board indicated that they couldn't...that their entire team was not available. (Attorney Mundorf was the only one not present.)

May 10, 2002 - Board Attorney Barney Mundorf Faxes Rejection of CAT Proposal - 4:30 p.m.

May 10, 2002 - CAT Bargaining Team Hand Delivers Proposal to Superintendent - 3:15 p.m.

May 8, 2002 - Thirty-Second Negotiations Session - 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - The CAT team presented a new proposal; Board team questions adding steps to salary schedule...wants to give people "at the top" same percentage raise, but not add another step. Much discussion ensues over the costs and savings over the next two/three years. Board team concerned that the CAT package will use up the savings produced by the Board's RIF of employees. Steve Kohn works with Barney, Dr. Isom, and Ilene..."crunching numbers". President Griggs getting "antsy" during all of this...finally calls a caucus at 1 p.m. When Board team returns...Attorney Mundorf does not look "happy"...presents the CAT with "substantially the same proposal"...shutting down. Barney acknowledges that Board team made math error...a step costs $51,000...not $73,000. The Board will not back off of the $73,000...but that's tops...no more room to move in 2nd and 3rd year...if no good...back to one year at $145,000 total for salary/benefits. Sets deadline for COBRA...noon on Friday. The two sides caucus for three-and-a-half hours. The Board team presents same offer as before..."All we can afford..." Steve points out that an extra $50,000 could settle this and put kids back in school tomorrow. Barney says "No...the best we've got to offer today, tomorrow,..." Session ends with no date set for further negotiations.

May 7, 2002 - Thirty-First Negotiations Session - 4:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. - The CAT began the session by presenting a "supposal" for a two-year agreement. Board team emphasizes their cash flow problem and asks for consideration. Board team says they will increase the "pool of money" by $13,000 - a total of $111,000 to be applied to the salary schedule. They ask us to generate a new salary schedule to include the $111,000 for their review...and go caucus. Board team returns two hours later and we present them with the requested salary schedule. Board team says they are receptive to the idea of sharing a health insurance rebate...as long as money is not perpetual. They expressed interest in a multi-year agreement, were not interested in automatic vertical movement on salary schedule, and stated that make-up days were negotiable. Teams caucused for approximately 45 minutes. More discussion takes place on a health insurance rebate and other terms of a multi-year agreement. Two teams caucus for approximately 2 and 1/2 hours. Board team presents an "unofficial proposal". In explaining the proposal, the Board team indicates that it has costed out a step at $74,000! (The CAT team had previously computed it at $51,000.) At 11:08 p.m., the Board team asks for caucus...to refigure the cost of a step increase to teachers. At 1:30 a.m., the two parties agree to adjourn and return to the table at noon on May 8th.

April 28, 2002 - Thirtieth Negotiations Session - 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - The CAT team reduced its monetary package once again by moving $25,000 from the first year to the second year of a two-year proposal. Following a brief caucus, Attorney Mundorf stated that the CAT's offer had not changed...that it was still the same package. The CAT team explained that it was not...that the Board would only have to pay the $25,000 in question once - in the 2nd year - not both years. Reluctantly, Mr. Mundorf finally conceded the CAT's position. Following another caucus, the Board team presented their same monetary package..."all we've got to give". Mr. Mundorf repeated his request that the Association consider interest arbitration. The Board team then reminded the CAT team that they had to leave the session in order to attend a 3:30 p.m. meeting at the high school - a meeting called to prepare for a resumption of instruction of Seniors and 8th Graders...using administrators. The CAT team acknowledged the commitment and told the Board team that they would wait for their return. The Board team returned at 5 p.m. Tempers flared when the CAT team informed the Board team that it had received a report that the Board team had used the alleged "re-opening of school" meeting to distribute "confidential" salary and benefits information about specific employeess to assembled parents. Following another couple of caucuses and no real movement on either side, the federal mediator suggested a break in negotiations..."a time for reflection". The session ended at 6 p.m. The mediator told both sides to give him a call when the it was felt that a meeting could be productive.

April 27, 2002 - Twenty-Ninth Negotiations Session - 10:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - (The mediator was not present at the beginning, but he did arrive during the session, following a joint request by the two teams) - The CAT summarized the current status of negotiations. Board Attorney Barney Mundorf charged the CAT with regressive bargaining. The CAT team explained why he was wrong...and that the rest of the Board team knew that, because they had been in negotiations all along and understood the process. However, following a caucus, the CAT team lowered its monetary offer to the level cited by Mr. Mundorf. Barney was not mollified...still demanding that negotiations by immediately ended and that the outstanding issues be submitted to binding arbitration...again...another expensive gamble. The CAT team persisted and got the Board to continue negotiations...and to allow the federal mediator to re-enter the process. Unfortunately, we were able to make them stay, but we were not able to make them budge on their offer - the $33,000 they felt they had to put on the table when they lost their first gamble...when their CPA backed us instead of them. So...both sides agreed to recess at 9 p.m. and to resume negotiations on Sunday, April 28th, at 2 p.m.