By SARI ZEIDLER
The Merrick Board of Education then voted 5-0 on Monday to approve the agreement, ending months of tense talks between teachers and district officials. One board member was absent from the meeting, and another abstained from the vote.
The new four-year contract will run through June 2012, according to a letter signed by board President Nancy Kaplan, district Superintendent Dr. Ranier Melucci and Merrick Faculty Association President Ruth Rosenberg. The letter also stated that all parties "are pledged to continue to work together for our common goal, which is to provide our children with the best education possible." During contract talks, a number of parents said they worried that negotiations might hurt the children's education.
According to Melucci, highlights of the contract include a 3.5 percent annual salary increase for teachers, which on top of increases awarded for earning additional educational credits, will equal a 6.5 percent increase for many teachers.
He also noted that teachers agreed to open classrooms 10 minutes earlier three days per week and work until 4 p.m. on 28 Wednesdays during the school year. Also, the school year will be reduced from 185 workdays to 184 workdays in year one of the contract and 183 workdays in the next three years. The agreement addresses the issue of added contractual time, which was a source of disagreement between the board and the faculty association, by allotting more time for extra help and reducing teacher pullouts for faculty meetings.
Teachers agreed to increase health insurance contributions over the course of the contract. Currently, tenured teachers pay 12 percent and untenured pay 15 percent, explained Melucci. According to the new agreement, tenured teachers will contribute 14 percent in year one, 16 percent in year two, 17 percent in year three and 18 percent in year four. Untenured teachers will stay at 15 this year and will increase to 16 percent next year, 17 percent in year three and 18 percent in year four.
"We realized we had to give a little and take a little. That's what a good settlement is; there has to be give and take on both sides," said Melucci.
"I'm thrilled that we all reached what was a fair and reasonable contract," said Rosenberg, adding that the agreement was the result of "true negotiation."
Attempts to agree on a new contract turned publicly bitter earlier this month after details of rejected proposals were announced at a Nov. 3 special session of the Board of Education, prompting the Merrick Faculty Association and the board to mail letters to district residents stating their cases.
The agreement was reached following a Nov. 18 Board of Education meeting at which community members, who as a group had largely sided with the faculty association at previous meetings, expressed diverse opinions and played a greater role in discussions. Some exhibited outrage at the prospect of teacher salary increases, given the bleak economy. Others pleaded with the board to appease teachers in the hope that it would foster the best learning environment for students. Still others urged teachers to accept a recent contract proposal and end the disagreement.
Rosenberg said she and her negotiating team, the district administration, board trustees and district counsel met from 5 p.m. on Nov. 19 until 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 20 to hammer out the contract's final terms.
"I think both sides came out ahead in the agreement," said Rosenberg. "That's what negotiation is all about. We all walked away feeling like we gained something, and no one walked away feeling they agreed to something they couldn't live with."
Comments about this story? Szeidler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
