MSTA Statewide Coordinated Bargaining Goals
MSTA’s comprehensive bargaining strategy gives Local Associations a structure for planning and negotiating the best possible contracts for school employees. MSTA’s goals focus on creating an environment that will make Maryland attractive to the kind of highly skilled teachers and ESP the public expects and deserves.
Goal 1: Compensation
Defend the traditional single salary schedule which is based on knowledge, skills and experience. Any career ladder or other alternative compensation plan must be in addition to the current single salary schedule and not replace it.
Highlights
- Seek one complete salary schedule for employees with no more than 10 steps.
- Don’t add days without adding compensation at regular rate of pay.
- Seek salary settlements greater than the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), to move employees closer to other professionals with similar education and skill sets.
- Do not accept any salary plan that is tied to employee evaluations or student test scores.
- Negotiate skill-based pay for training, certification and education.
Goal 2: Health Care Benefits
Prevent local school boards from reducing current benefits and/or shifting increased costs to employees.
Highlights
- Incorporate all health care benefit language into the negotiated agreement, including the name of the provider.
- Reduce percentage of health care premium paid by employees.
Goal 3: Language for Working Conditions and Workload, Worker Rights, Professional Development and Union Security
Strengthen collective bargaining contracts by regaining rights previously held to be illegal subjects, and by expanding into quality school and education reform issues.
Workload and Professional Development
- Negotiate language to limit or reduce employee workload, increase planning time and provide employees sufficient time to provide meaningful instruction.
- Negotiate language to provide employer-paid, employee-identified professional development and training.
Working Conditions, Worker Rights and Union Security
- Negotiate language for just cause and binding arbitration.
- Negotiate language to protect members during No Child Left Behind and any other regulations changes which may employees.
- Negotiate health and safety language and language to protect against privatization.
Adapted from the original, approved September, 2005.
