On Janesville school-union talks halted
Posted on December 30 at 11:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The contract talks between the JSD and the JEA lasted roughly 18 months. Two of the Board's sticking points were insisting on a pay freeze and a 4 year contract so that the JSD and School Board would be able to develop a long term fiscal plan. (The JEA agreed to both items.) So, even ultra-conservatives like Mr. Sodemann and Mr. D. Severson never imagined the school-funding crisis that would soon be unleashed by Gov. Walker.
Posted on December 24 at 2:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
JSD administrators were notified of their bonuses through in-district email on Thursday. Should be part of that Freedom of Information Act thing.
Posted on December 22 at 4:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Here's something to maybe re-direct your conversation: The school board on Tuesday once again asked the 3 school district unions to reconsider making concessions. Well, the school district today handed out performance bonuses to the administrative and non-union staff. If this district is so in debt, which it is, then why are the highest wage earners receiving bonuses? And where is that money coming from, the union concessions?
On Janesville teachers union says no school board's offer
Posted on September 12 at 9:43 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Rocky: "It's not like when things were booming in the 90's and 00's that the board came back to re-negotiate with the teachers to offer them more." You are joking/sarcastic, right? You are fully knowing that the school board has never offered to re-negotiated a contract, right?
Posted on September 3 at 1:47 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
billnewbie: The WEA offered to pay Walker's concessions in exchange for retaining the collective bargaining rights. The CB rights disintegrated, so hence, no deal. The school districts with "surpluses" are districts whose contracts expired and teachers were forced to pay the concessions. I am unaware of any school districts where teachers agreed to concessions voluntarily. If you know of some, please list them.
Posted on September 1 at 8:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Northman and bebe: Check this out: http://www.weac.org/about_weac/history/h.... I'll give you a snippet: "The Trust’s structure is unique among teachers’ unions that have their own insurance trusts, because WEAC can get no income from the Trust. While other unions have financial agreements that redirect money back into the union’s operations, WEAC created and designed the WEA Trust to be independent and free of the appearance of conflicts of interest, and it has always remained so."
Posted on August 31 at 10:53 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
And if you don't believe me, please read and re-read carefully Thinkfuture's http://gazettextra.com/news/2010/may/16/.... Then answer why this individual believes he is more important than the group.
Posted on August 31 at 10:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Honor: The JEA would have walked away with nothing. This was not an opportunity to negotiate. This was for concessions only. Some of us in the JEA fear that we will pay dearly at the end of our contract no matter what concessions we would have given. We would have walked away with nothing in the "trade", and there is very little chance of establishing "good relations" with our current board president and his repeated anti-teacher sentiments. As someone else blogged, it infuriates me that I have to listen to his pep rally speech at school and then read his anti-teacher and anti-education comments in the media.
On What should school board do to balance budget?
Posted on August 27 at 10:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
jv: I respect your opinions and possible solutions to our budget crisis. I will just ask you consider another viewpoint. In no particular order: 1. The State formula for school funding is too complex and perhaps unfair and misunderstood. Yes, we all know where the tax dollars are generated. But, the unfair and misunderstood part is that the State matches local tax dollars. Low local taxes mean low State matching funds. High taxes, high State funds. Janesville has enjoyed low tax rates (check mill rates) for years. Thus, we receive less from the State. This is part of the reason we are in a bind now. 2. Obviously, Walker’s plan doesn’t help. $800,000,000 in funding has to hurt somewhere. In Kaukauna and elsewhere, the “tool” for balancing the budget is to take money out of the teacher salary and benefit pool in order to relieve the burden on local taxpayers. Again, same as you taking $2M out of your employees’ pockets and declaring a $2M profit. Same deal. 3. Back in the days when GM was humming and our local economy was shining, the JEA (and teacher unions everywhere) continued to settle for lower salary raises in exchange for retirement and insurance benefits. When the private sectors were blasting money into 401K accounts, buying luxury vehicles and beautiful houses on the hill, public sectors were settling for $20 per check raises in order to keep our retirement and insurance benefits. The privates have been hit hard lately, we agree, but the publics, especially teachers, have been feeling this way for 20 years. The QEO was enacted in 1993. 4. Janesville School District has a self-funded insurance plan. Through all of the previous postings, it must be obvious that JEA feels that our school district has been overcharging us and turning a profit on us for years. Again, a “gold mine” that even the district’s consultants cannot explain. 5. There are good and bad employees everywhere. Don’t just single out teachers.
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On Janesville school-union talks halted
Posted on December 30 at 11:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hillman: I believe the JSD has "stop-gap" insurance to cover claims in excess of $1 Million.