Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to inform you that we have reached a Tentative Agreement for a successor contract. The actual language affected by these negotiations, as well as the newly-negotiated salary schedules, can be found in the signed document attached below. Here’s a summary of the key provisions:
– Duration. The three-year contract is retroactive to July 1, 2022 and expires on June 30, 2025.
– Salary Increases. Retroactive to July 1, 2022, the agreed-upon benchmarked salary increases are 3.8% in each of the three years of the contract.
– Retention Incentives. Every member of the RTA Teacher Bargaining Unit, who remains actively employed by the RCSD through the last day of the relevant school year, will receive an additional Retention Incentive of $1500.00 in each of the first two years of the contract (2022-23 and 2023-24).
– Hourly Rates Increases. The current $35.00 hourly rate for attendance at and conducting in-service, curriculum preparation, proposal development, and testing administration will be increased to $39.00 per hour for the 2023-24 school year and to $43.00 per hour beginning with the 2024-25 school year. The current $41.00 hourly rate for teaching in the extended day programs or at evening schools will be increased to $45.00 per hour for the 2023-24 school year and to $49.00 per hour beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
– Additional Time For IEPs. The District will provide Special Education teachers, Speech/Language teachers, and Social Workers who have required IEP writing or conferencing responsibilities, and other related responsibilities, with two (2) full days of release time. A third (3rd) IEP release day will be provided to those bargaining unit members who have IEP writing responsibilities for more than twelve (12) students.
– Compensation For Emergency Coverage For Students. Beginning with the second semester of this school year, K-6 bargaining unit members who provide emergency coverage for students (including, for example, taking in additional students), in addition to continuing their regular assignment, will also be provided additional compensation. Such additional compensation will be pro-rated and dependent on how many additional students are split up and accommodated. Mandated service providers, however, will be excluded from providing emergency substitute coverage.
– Cap on Dismissal Time Responsibility. Effective January 30, 2023, bargaining unit members cannot be required to remain more than 15 minutes at their buildings when assisting with the dismissal of students at the end of the school day. Extreme and continuous time after 15 minutes past the established bell time, as authorized by an agreement between the Superintendent and the Association President, shall be compensated at the 1/200th rate, prorated.
– Building-Level Guidelines For Student Discipline. At each school, the RTA Building Committee and school principal, with direct input from the faculty, shall develop building-level guidelines for student discipline that are consistent with the District’s Code of Conduct. These guidelines may include ranges of discipline that may be imposed for the more commonly seen violations.
– Health Insurance and Benefits. The District and the RTA agreed that, as of January 1, 2023, the RTA’s “Blue EPO Enhanced Plan” will be retitled “Blue EPO-RTA Enhanced Plan.” All services, benefits and premium contributions will remain undiminished and exactly the same as now – with the sole exception that RTA bargaining unit members only will be eligible to receive a maximum of $300 annually per bargaining member for participation in the Healthy Rewards Program.
– Staff Meetings and Professional Development. Half (5) of the currently permissible monthly school-level staff meetings may be parlayed into professional development meetings instead of remaining as staff meetings. These professional development meetings will take into consideration the collective wisdom of teachers, district-wide goals, and school-wide needs.
– Common Planning Time. The number and the amount of preparation time and common planning time remain unchanged. Also unchanged is that the RTA Building Committee determines which one common planning time meeting per week will be mandatory and which one common planning time meeting per week will be voluntary. School-based Planning Teams will develop an annual plan for the use of the mandatory meetings and will determine who will lead them. Classroom teachers will continue to lead the voluntary common planning time meetings, with participation by school leaders.
For the exact language, please read the attached text of the Tentative Agreement. If you have questions, check with your RTA Faculty Representative(s) who, at a Special Meeting of the RTA Representative Assembly last Wednesday, participated in a discussion of the proposed provisions. You can also call the RTA (585 546 2681) or attend an informational zoom forum on the Tentative Agreement scheduled for Tuesday, December 20th, beginning at 4:15 pm. The zoom link will be sent to all RTA members prior to the session.
Ratification balloting by RTA members, conducted by RTA Faculty Representatives, will be held at every school and work location on Thursday, December 22nd January 3, 2023. Members who are itinerant or unsure at what work location to vote, may vote at the RTA office (30 N. Union Street, Suite 301). The Board of Education is scheduled to vote that same evening. If the Tentative Agreement is ratified, we will resume Living Contract negotiations to resolve the remaining issues and priorities. Interim Superintendent Carmine Peluso has already agreed to increase the frequency of the Living Contract bargaining sessions.
I want to thank our Negotiations Committee, our Action Committee, and RTA Faculty Representatives for all they’ve done during these protracted and arduous negotiations. I also want to acknowledge the collaborative leadership of Dr. Peluso and the important role that he and his team played to finally bring this round of negotiations to a fair conclusion. And most of all I want to thank you, RTA members, for your solidarity, for your active involvement, for your unswerving support, and for all that you continue to do for our students.
This Tentative Agreement is good for students and fair to teachers. The RTA Executive Council and the RTA Representative Assembly voted overwhelmingly to recommend ratification. I agree and urge you to exercise your right to vote.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President
Tentative Agreement and Salary Schedule
*This was originally published 12.16.22 and subsequently republished after the delay to the ratification vote due to days off from the City of Rochester’s water main break and the severe weather day. The ratification date has been updated.