BY CRAIG SHULTZ
Hemet teachers would receive an 8 percent salary increase this year and 2 percent next year under a tentative agreement reached with the school district Tuesday night. The agreement, which must be ratified by members of the Hemet Teachers Association, also puts a cap on class sizes and increases the length of the school day. The sides hammered out the deal after more than 30 hours of negotiations Monday and Tuesday, HTA president Robert Hudson said. “I’m very relieved,” Hemet Unified Superintendent Barry Kayrell said Wednesday. “It truly is a win-win for the bargaining unit, the school district, the community and, most importantly, our students. It’s a fair and equitable contract to move the districtforward.” The tentative deal came while the district and union were in fact-finding, the final formal stage of labor negotiations. The sides have been at odds for almost two years, and teachers have been without a new contract since 2013. If fact-finding didn’t result in an agree ment, both sides were preparing for a strike. Hemet Unified was offering a 4 percent raise, retroactive to the start of the 2013-14 school year, plus a one-time $1,500 payment toward health care costs. Teachers were asking for 6 percent. The new deal, which covers three years, is only retroactive to the start of the current school year, but includes another raise in 2015-16, plus the health care bonus. As part of the deal, teachers will be required to work an additional 12 minutes each school day beginning next year. Those minutes will be added to instructional time. The deal came out of factfinding, school and union of ficials said. “It’s a culmination of a lot of things,” Kayrell said. “The issues remained the same, but it’s the context of knowing you’re in the final stretch of the negotiation process, and sometimes that motivates people as well.” Hudson said there was no “a-ha” moment that led to the proposed settlement. “The mediator controls what happens; this settlement was his settlement,” Hudson said. “He listened to both sides and decided what a settlement should look like.” Hudson admitted that not all of his members may like the proposal, especially the fact that it isn’t retroactive to 2013. “I hope our members see some of the good parts of this settlement,” he said. “It gives us a place to start from the next time we go the the table.” Assistant Superintendent LaFaye Platter, who oversees personnel, said 2013-14 was part of the talks when negotiations started, but because the current school year is more than half over, it was decided to just look forward. “We felt it was the best interest of the teachers, community and everyone else to get a three-year deal,” she said. Kayrell was unable to say just how much the salary increase will cost. Hemet Unified employs 1,000 teachers who currently earn between $44,161 and $87,860, based on experience and education. Class sizes will be capped at 26 students for kindergarten through third grade and 34 for fourth and fifth grades. Middle and high school teachers will have no more than 195 students for a five-period day and 235 for a six-period day, which averages 39 per class. The union will hold a ratification meeting at 5 p.m. today at the Santa Fe Education Center. The majority of those who vote must approve the deal for it to pass. If that happens, Kayrell is hoping the contract can go before the school board when it meets Tuesday. It then must be approved by the county school board. CONTACT THE WRITER: [email protected] Tentative agreement
Highlights of the tentative agreement reached between Hemet Unified School District and Hemet Teachers Association Term: Three-year agreement; salary and benefits talks may be reopened if the gap funding in the final state budget exceeds 32.19 percent Hours of employment: Beginning in 2015, instructional minutes and work day increased by 12 minutes Health and welfare benefits: Increased employer contribution to $10,600 beginning July 1, 2014; for the 2014-15 school year, the $1,500 increase will be paid out in a one-time cash payment Salary: The salary schedules will be increased by 8 percent effective July 1, 2014, for the 2014-15 school year; the salary schedule will increase by an additional 2 percent effective July 1, 2015. Class size: A waiver was added requiring reductions to site ratios of 26:1 in kindergarten through third grade; maximum student contacts set at 195 (five-period day) or 235 (six-period day) in grades 6 to 12; class size adjustments must be made within 45 work days