1
.What is preventing IUSD & ITA from reaching an agreement?
IUSD is in a difficult financial situation. IUSD must cut costs to keep operating and pay back the loan.
2.
What are the phases in the negotiation process?
The District continues to work with ITA towards a mutual agreement. The phases of negotiations include: 1) Negotiations, 2) Declare Impasse, 3) Mediation, 4) Fact-Finding, 5) Last/Best Offer, 6) Final Offer, 7) Strike
3.How long has ITA and CalPro been in negotiations?
The first meeting, between IUSD & ITA, was held in October 2016. Between October 2016 and January 2018, IUSD and ITA met fourteen (14) times to reach an agreement. IUSD and CalPro met fourteen (14) times since January 2017.
4.What is the status of the CalPro negotiation?
No agreement on salary and benefits has been reached. This group has entered the Impasse phase and met with a mediator on April 23.
5.What has IUSD proposed to balance the budget
?
- School Mergers
- We anticipate a decline in enrollment of more than 400 students next year, therefore sixty (60) layoff notices were sent out based on enrollment projections for next year.
- Non-teaching positions are assessed, on a case-by-case basis. for replacement or elimination.
- Cap on employee benefits packages for employees
- IUSD employee only coverage for medical, dental and vision is offered at no cost. The additional proposed costs would be passed onto the coverage for dependents and/or spouse.
- IUSD is proposing the district pay a medical benefits maximum of $9400 per employee.
- IUSD, ITA and CalPro have not reached an agreement on the amount of medical insurance IUSD will pay for dependents and/or spouse.
- IUSD is currently searching for cost effective insurance options through the employee benefits committee.
6.What phase of negotiations is IUSD in with ITA?
The current agreement between IUSD and ITA will expire on June 30, 2018. A third party, Public Employee Relation’s Board (PERB), has been brought in to assist in resolving the dispute. IUSD and ITA have notified PERB of their inability to resolve the issue and has declared an Impasse.
7.What is the next step after the Impasse declaration?
A neutral third-party mediator was brought in to assist. Representatives from IUSD and ITA met with the mediator on two occasions but were unable to reach an agreement. On March 21
st
, the mediator declared there was no resolution and moved the process forward to the fact-finding stage.
8.What is fact-finding?
Fact-finding involves an investigation by a third-party, three-person panel. The panel is tasked with putting together a report with recommendations for each side to use in settling disagreements.
9.How is the fact-finding panel selected?
The three members are chosen from a state-approved panel. IUSD & ITA each select a member and the third member must be agreed upon by all parties.
10.How long will the fact-finding stage last?
We expect that this stage will be completed before the end of the current school year (2017-2018).
11.When will the report be issued by the fact-finding panel?
We hope to see the report before the end of the school year. The actual timeline is out of our control.
12.Are other employees receiving these cuts to benefits?
Yes. All management began paying additional costs effective January 2018.
13.How can the District afford to pay substitutes $400 a day during a strike?
The average pay of an IUSD teacher is just under $400 per day, before factoring in the cost of employee taxes and retirement benefits. On days that teachers strike, they are not paid and cannot take paid leave. The District would use the money that would have ordinarily gone to the teachers participating in the strike towards the special rate of pay for substitutes.
