Council Overwhelmingly Supportive of Teacher Contract

The Town Council unanimously approved a two-year contract with the town’s teachers’ union, the Farmington Education Association. The negotiated deal secures, in a sense, the zero percent increase other town employees took in 2009, officials said, and brings big savings in both insurance spending and wage increases.

Charlie Keniston, the Republican most wary of education spending, opened discussion on the contracts, saying that when the union refused to make concessions during the last three-year contract, “I thought the teachers union leadership was part of the problem today I think they’re part of the solution."

In addition to the zero percent general wage increase in the first year, the contract holds the line on step increases, freezing them for both years. According to the Board of Education, the step freeze results in a wage savings of $498,554 and keeps base salaries at the 2011 level through 2014. In the second year, 2013-2014, teachers will receive a 2.25 percent wage increase.

The FEA also agreed to $213,649 in insurance concessions in the second year of the contract, reportedly offsetting the wage increase to a net increase of 1.28 percent.

“This is a significant increase in employee contributions in 2013-2014,” Board of Education Chairman Mary Grace Reed said in presenting the contract Tuesday night. The teachers move from 18 percent up to 19 percent. “Deductions coming out of teachers’ actual pay checks will be an increase to the insurance account of $272,901. That would then be reduced on the budget side for us, so we as a town community will not be funding that portion.”

In addition to the increase in employee contributions, the contract also ups deductibles and co-pays, Reed said.

For the Board of Education, Ron Janeczko chaired the negotiating committee with members Betsy Kaplan and Mary Grace Reed. CJ Thomas served as council liaison in the negotiations process, which stretched through the summer and often over long nights. The final night session lasted from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., Reed said.

All the council members were complimentary and expressed thanks to Thomas, the Board of Education and the teachers.

“Sometimes you have to look at what kind of value an organization brings to the town,” said council Chairman Mike Clark. “Nobody up here has anything but good things to say about what the teachers bring to the schools, to the town, to the property values… this is a win for the schools and a win for the town."

In contrast, Harry Kraiza, Farmington Taxpayers Association President and Town Council candidate, was the lone member of the public to speak on the issue. He urged the council either to take no action on the contract or to reject it, saying that the first year’s zero percent increase was a given and the second year’s 2.25 percent increase will hit the town budget hard.

“I think it’s a shame that at least from my observation, there are three people here from the public, when you are scheduled to vote on a contract …that costs the Farmington taxpayers over $30 million,” Kraiza began.

“…I believe this contract does not go far enough to address the significant cost increase Farmington taxpayers have experienced in the past few years particularly in medical insurance. …Paid claims continue to escalate significantly. More has to be done to address the cost of insurance to the taxpayers and in my opinion this does not even come close,” he said.