DISTRICT AND MARTINEZ EDUCATION ASSOCIATION CONTINUE

NEGOTIATIONS OVER 2023-2024 SUCCESSOR CONTRACT

MUSD Proposes 4% Total Compensation Increase –

3% Salary Increase and 1% in Increased Benefit Contributions -

 Based on Reduced “Local COLA,” Declining Enrollment/Funded ADA,

Increased Costs and Other Factors

MUSD Has Provided Highest Percentage Salary Increase

In the County Between 2021-22 and 2022-23

MEA Responds by Lowering 10% Salary Increase Proposal to 9.5%

And Modifies Proposal for District-Paid Uncapped Kaiser Benefits

Parties Reach Tentative Agreements (TAs) on Three More Articles

District Proposes But MEA Rejects “Fact Finding Before Fact Finding” With Outside CTA and District Budget Experts to Examine Finances and Make Recommendations

Introduction

This is Martinez Unified School District’s fourth Negotiations Update for 2023-2024 contract negotiations between the District and the Martinez Education Association. The District will distribute the Negotiations Update after meetings with MEA to inform our community on the progress of negotiations.

Bargaining teams for MUSD and MEA held their fourth negotiations session for the 2023-2024 school year on November 13. A summary of this session follows.

MUSD Proposes 4% Total Compensation Increase – 3% Salary Increase and 1% in Increased Benefit Contributions - Based on Reduced “Local COLA,” Declining Enrollment/Funded ADA, Increased Costs and Other Factors

The District increased its total compensation offer to 4% - a 3% salary increase, and the equivalent of a 1% salary increase in District benefit costs. As with the prior proposal, the following criteria were included by way of explanation:

1. Declining enrollment of projected to be approximately 80 students for 2024-25.
2. Funded ADA vs. enrollment is 94.5%.
3. Free and Reduced declining reporting for approximately 350 students – reduces supplemental funds.
4. These factors result in a “local COLA” of 4.6% for MUSD from an 8.22% COLA.
5. Based on current State COLA projections for 2024-2025 and 2025 and 2026, MUSD’s “local COLA” will be zero.
6. Special education costs (contributions from the general fund) have increased $1M since last year.
7. Health and Welfare costs have increased by the equivalent of about a 1% salary increase for all employees since last year.
8. The 9% negotiated salary increase for 2022-2023 substantially depleted District reserves.

MUSD Has Provided Highest Percentage Salary Increases in the County Between 2021-22 and 2022-23

MUSD provided MEA a chart showing salary increases for all County districts for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years. MUSD ranked first among all districts with 19% in salary increases over these two years. Currently 11 of 17 County districts are in negotiations for 2023-2024 including MUSD. Only one District (Mt. Diablo USD) has settled for 2024-2025.

MEA Responds by Lowering 10% Salary Increase Proposal to 9.5% and Modifies Proposal for District-Paid Uncapped Kaiser Benefits

In response to MUSD’s total compensation proposal, MEA lowered its 10% salary proposal from 10% to 9.5%. MEA also modified its medical benefits proposal from District-paid full family Kaiser coverage to District-paid full coverage for employees and employees plus 1, and reduced the out-of-pocket family contribution by 25% to $137.98/month.

The District noted that as of January 1, 2024, the District will be paying 93% of full family Kaiser coverage.

Parties Reach Tentative Agreements (TAs) on Three More Articles

The parties reached TA’s on three more articles: Negotiations Procedures, Workday, and Safety Conditions.

With these latest agreements, all but four articles (including salary and benefits) have been agreed to by the parties in only four negotiations sessions.

District Proposes But MEA Rejects “Fact Finding Before Fact Finding” With Outside CTA and District Budget Experts to Examine Finances and Make Recommendations

In response to MEA’s latest salary and benefit proposals, the District made a “Process Proposal” to MEA entitled “Fact Finding Before Fact Finding.” Since the parties are far apart on these economic items, apparently based on different perspectives of District finances, the proposal calls for the parties to engage in a kind of  “Fact Finding” process now, rather than  wait for months when they could be required to do so as part of the legally mandated “impasse” procedures. The District’s proposal described the process as follows:

1. Each party would bring in their budget experts who would receive all relevant budget documents and any information proposed by either party to be included.
2. The budget experts would meet and confer as they determine, e.g., in person or digitally, with or without the parties present.
3. The budget experts would report out findings and recommendations as they determine, e.g., in writing to the parties and/or in person at a negotiations session. These findings and recommendations do not necessarily need to be in agreement; for example, each budget expert could make their own recommendations and findings.
4. The negotiating teams would use the information provided to inform their proposals and, hopefully, move to an agreement or at least closer to an agreement.
5. Even assuming no agreement is reached, it is likely both parties will be better informed and more prepared to engage meaningfully in the impasse process.

The District commented that the parties would retain more control over negotiations using this procedure than if impasse were declared, giving mediators and fact finders more authority over the process. The District noted that, in the experience of its chief negotiator, this process has almost always resulted in an agreement.

Both parties agreed that negotiations are at a point where there are two paths going forward: the “Process Proposal” path, or a declaration of impasse.

MEA stated it would check with its Executive Board to see if the team could agree to this “Process “Proposal” and would inform the District on November 14.

[Note: MEA informed the District via email on November 14 that it has rejected the District’s Process Proposal.]

Next Steps: MEA has told the District that MEA will file for Impasse and send the District a copy.  The District will agree to go to Impasse.

MUSD Negotiations Team:                                                  MEA Negotiations Team

Dr. Daniel Scudero, Director of Personnel                          Jennifer DeWeerdt, Teacher JSE

Andy Cannon, CBO                                                            Alexis Weingarten, TOSA

Janelle Eyet, Assistant Superintendent                              Marianne Griffin, Teacher, AHS

James Stewart, Assistant Principal, AHS                           Jacqui Benton, Teacher MJHS

Nikki Green, Executive Assistant                                        Dave Mathers, Teacher, AHS

Attorney Greg Dannis, Legal Counsel, DWK                     Gray Harris, CTA Representative