Teachers' Union: 'It Is a Sad Day Indeed for Cary'

Submitted by Annette Bear on behalf of the Cary Education Association

The Cary School Board has announced that they will be imposing their .  As they have stated, this will mean the teachers will start the new school year working under the terms of the board’s last-best contract offer.

The teachers of Cary continue to believe that negotiations are not over. 

This Cary School Board in its ruthless intent to garner over 2 million dollars from approximately 90 teachers, requiring these teachers to accept up to 20% decrease in pay, is trying to deceive the public by playing a shell game.

The Board admits that not all teachers will receive a 1.7% pay cut. The District is attempting to pay for the retirees through the concessions they are asking from this small group of teachers.

The last proposal from the teachers to the Board of Education on August 9, 2011 did, . 

This included a three year salary freeze (savings of approx. $860,000), 30% single insurance paid each year (savings of approx. $1,000,000), family insurance concessions (savings of approx. $210,000).  Additional savings would also be realized by the concessions made in the retirement language. 

They continue to state that they are only asking a 1.7% decrease in pay the first year and an increase the second year.  This is a fallacy. 

The Board continues to skew these numbers by using an average that is misleading. 

By including the teachers who have submitted their letters indicating their intent to retire, as required by law, their numbers do not tell the whole story. 

The teachers are aware of the District’s “dramatic and severe financial crisis” as stated by the Board and were willing and continue to be willing to make dramatic concessions, however the concessions the Board is imposing upon this small group of teachers is unreasonable.

Class sizes continue to be exorbitant, students do not receive specials such as art, music, and gym taught by specialized teachers, and the Board has no strategic plan in place to remedy this.

Yet we trust their numbers and statements.

The 4.7% contribution made by the District to the Teachers Retirement System is comparable to an employer paying the 7.5% of the 15% required in the private sector for Social Security contributions. 

The Teacher Retirement System is the only retirement teachers collect.  Teachers DO NOT pay into Social Security and therefore do not qualify for Social Security benefits including spousal benefits.

The teachers fully believe that this Board had no intention of ever negotiating a fair and reasonable agreement. 

It has been clear from the beginning of these negotiations that there was an agenda.   

They asked for 2 million dollars in concessions.  We offered 2 million dollars in concessions.  This offer was not accepted by the Board, leaving one to question the true intent of this Board. 

This “last best offer” that is being imposed by the BOE will have lasting ill effects on the quality of education in Cary. 

This school system will no longer attract the best and brightest. 

Surrounding communities will benefit from the impact of this agreement. It is a sad day indeed for Cary.

Submitted by Annette Bear on behalf of the Cary Education Association