L-S faculty to pay more for health insurance
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The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee Tuesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Teachers Association that has the faculty taking several concessions, including paying more for health insurance. In the agreement, faculty also agreed to eliminate the early retirement incentive and reduce cost of living increases. “Our faculty has worked with us since last September to craft this agreement that we believe is in the best interest of the taxpayers of Sudbury and the students of Sudbury,” said Mark Collins, the new vice chair of the L-S School Committee. “We remain convinced that we have the most dedicated and responsible faculty in the area,” said Collins. This Memorandum of Understanding was unanimously approved by the L-S School Committee as well as Bill Keller, a representative of the Lincoln-Sudbury selectmen. The following outlines the memorandum: 1. Faculty agreed to pay 30 percent of their health insurance premiums – up from 25 percent. 2. They have also agreed to work with L-S to create an incentive to choose a less expensive insurance plan. For any member who chooses a cost-savings insurance plan, that family member will share the savings. The member gets 70 percent and the district keeps the 30 percent balance. For those choosing Fallon plans, the least expensive of the array of plans, they will receive $550 for an individual plan and $1,300 for a family plan. 3. The early retirement incentive plan has been eliminated. “We have concluded that the early retirement plan has not been an effective incentive for retirement,” said Collins. “There are better ways to compensate our faculty more equitably. 4. To replace the early retirement incentive plan, the agreement introduces a new performance-based program for senior teachers – the Master Teacher Program. For continued excellent in teaching, professional development and service to the District, a Master Teacher stipend of $2,500 will be awarded annually. “We believe this is a far more equitable distribution of salary than the early retirement incentive plan,” said Collins. “We also think it’s important because it’s performance based.” 5. Cost of living increases have been reduced to .75 percent in year one (2009/2010); 1.75 percent in year two and 2.0 percent in year three. 6. Faculty at the top step will receive an additional cost of living increase of .75 percent in year one (2009/2010); 1 percent in year two and 1 percent in year three. “This is given to faculty, who are at the last step to help offset the increase in health insurance premiums,” said Collins. Stipends for coaching and extra services will be paid as follows: Year one (2009/2010), the same as 2008/09; year two, the same as 2008/09 and year three, one percent higher than 2008/09. “The cost of the contract is less expensive than the presentation made at Town Meeting,” said Collins. “While at this time we don’t intend to transfer those savings into new positions, we are pleased that we have the savings and we believe it is an important budgeting tool in this economy, which provides a cushion against the possibility of more cuts or other problems.” Working off the collective bargaining agreement, “We are dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s and we will have a final agreement in place before the next L-S School Committee meeting Monday, July 20. Additionally, as is the pattern of the L-S School Committee, it reorganizes annually. Tuesday the vice chair, Radha Gargeya took over Patty Mostue’s position as chairman with Mark Collins, the new vice chair.