When the negotiating team for Austin’s public school teachers presented a tentative contract to teachers last Thursday, there were some areas with which they weren’t completely happy.

Wednesday, December 08, 1999

When the negotiating team for Austin’s public school teachers presented a tentative contract to teachers last Thursday, there were some areas with which they weren’t completely happy. After determining there also were areas that left both negotiators and teachers with questions, a vote that had been planned for Monday and Tuesday was suspended.

"There are a couple of things which we felt needed clarification," said Jeff Ollman, chief negotiator for the teachers of Austin Public School District No. 492.

Ollman was reluctant to go into exactly what needed clarification, pending more meetings with the district.

"Really, it was a combination of things," Ollman said. "We as negotiators realized that what was in the contract needed clarification. We felt that, and the responses of the teachers indicated they feel that."

Last Thursday, points of contention were in the early retirement changes and in the salary increases, which were not as much as teachers had wanted.

The district has been trying to reduce operating expenses, as it has been operating in the red.

The vote’s suspension came as a disappointment to schools Superintendent James Hess.

"We had hoped to have this in place prior to the holiday season," Hess said. "It would have been wonderful to have this wrapped up prior to the teachers leaving for the holidays."

It isn’t just Christmas cheer Hess and the school district are worried about. There is a chunk of money involved in getting a teacher contract approved in an expeditious manner.

"If we don’t have a signed agreement in place by Jan. 15, district funds will be reduced," Hess explained.

State law decrees that if districts don’t have teacher contracts in place by that date, they will lose $25 per student. For the Austin district, that amounts to nearly $120,000.

"That would be that much less we could have available for the settlement," Hess said.

The district representatives and teachers’ negotiators are scheduled to meet with the state mediator on Dec. 21. Ollman indicated his hopes that the teachers and district could get together before then, but Hess wasn’t sure that could happen.

"I don’t know if it would be possible to meet before then," Hess said.

Hess remains hopeful that an agreement can be achieved before time runs out.

"We have, I think, a window to get this in, but the window of opportunity is closing," Hess said. "I would hate to have to turn that money back to the state."