District 207 teacher's union rejects reopening contract renegotiations

The Maine Teacher's Association's roughly 600 members Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected Maine Township High School District 207's latest request to reopen contract negotiations.

The district administration had asked the union to grant salary concessions to save about 40 to 45 of the 75 teaching jobs eliminated last month. The union would have had to agree to forego a 3.2 percent salary increase for the 2010-11 academic year, while still receiving step pay increases based on years of experience and a 3.5 percent wage increase in the 2011-12 school year.

The union voted 345-224 against discussing the possibility of reopening the contract, said Emma Visee, MTA president.

"As far as the union is concerned, we have explored the question, so we just need to move on," Visee said.

The union had earlier rejected the administration's request to forego two wage increases - 3.2 percent in 2010 and 3.5 percent in 2011 - to save 55 jobs.

District administrators have said that laying off the 75 largely nontenured, certified teachers by the end of the 2009-10 school year would save the district $5 million in 2010-11 academic year.

Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community members protested the cuts during a public hearing in January and the February school board meeting.

The layoffs are part of $15 million in cuts made last month to plug a projected $19 million deficit in 2010-11 budget.

"This has been a very difficult process for our teachers and teacher assistants," District 207 Superintendent Ken Wallace said in response to the union's vote. "We are grateful that they thoughtfully considered our request in the context of these difficult economic times, and we respect the decision that the MTA reached in a democratic vote. We will continue to work together to move forward in the best interest of the district."