ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County teachers will wait at least three more weeks to learn how their contract fight ends. After more than two hours of discussion Wednesday, the Orange County School Board, meeting in Orlando, Fla., moved its impasse hearing to Nov. 13. Lawyers for the Classroom Teachers Association and the Orange Education Support Professionals Association had asked for the delay, citing concerns about timing.
The two sides have been deadlocked since April, and employees have worked without a new contract all school year. A special magistrate, James Mastriani, was brought in to settle the dispute. His plan called for raises of 2.5% for teachers rated effective and 3.5% for those rated highly effective, along with limits on what employees pay for health coverage.
Under the magistrate’s numbers, premium increases would be capped at 20%, single-coverage deductibles would land between $750 and $900 and family deductibles would top out at $1,800. The district had proposed deductibles of $2,000 to $3,000 for individuals and as much as $6,000 for families.
The union accepted the plan Monday. The district turned it down Tuesday, saying it would add $105.1 million in costs at a time of falling enrollment and thin state funding, and that it could force budget cuts and job losses. District leaders say every month without a deal costs about $20 million to keep current health benefits in place.
Union leaders counter that the district is asking school workers to cover a shortfall in the employee health trust they never managed, and they say a complaint alleging unfair labor practices is possible. Clinton McCracken, who leads the teachers association, has called the magistrate plan a solid compromise even though it falls short of what members wanted.
Section: More Orlando FL education news
Filed under: Orlando FL Education News
