The national mediator service was called in weeks ago but negotiations between the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and Kenai Peninsula Education Association remain on pause.
School Board President Joe Arness said that is in part to KPEA and Kenai Peninsula Education Support Association members being less available during the summer months.
Arness: “We have stayed with what we proposed and they determined that they weren’t interested in that and they submitted a proposal to us and we determined that we weren’t interested in that and that we were probably at an impasse and that’s the moment when you call the mediation service.”
The District’s one year contract offer to the unions in the FY16 budget included:
▪ Annual movement on the salary schedule for all eligible employees
▪ Certified employees (teachers) receive 1.78% – 4.82%. Average increase is 2.67%
▪ Classified employees (support staff) receive 3.44% – 12.35%. Average increase (after initial step in year one) is 4.12%
▪ A $500 signing bonus outside the salary schedule for all fulltime employees; a pro-rated signing bonus for part-time employees
▪ The addition of a high-deductible healthcare plan option added to the current traditional healthcare plan
David Brighton is the President of the teachers’ union (KPEA). He said educators continue to improve every year and their salaries should follow suit, despite the District’s current budget crunch…
Brighton: “Well I think that everyone’s hoping and a lot of experts would agree that oil prices will be coming back up in a year or two. So I think that it’s reasonable for government entities to do deficit spending to maintain a high level of service.”