REA President Doug Hills RCS Board of Education Address December 9, 2013 My name is Doug Hill and I speak

tonight representing the nearly 950 members of the Rochester Education Association. I stand before the Board to discuss the ongoing contract negotiations. As Ive reflected on whats transpired in this and previous negotiations it reminds me of the 1964 Shel Silverstein poem The Giving Tree. The poem is about a young boy who befriends a tree and proceeds to take from the tree throughout their lives: first apples, then branches, then the trunk, before eventually leaving just a stump for the now-elderly boy to sit on. It seems to the members of the REA that were serving in the role of the tree. During negotiations in 2009-10 the REA agreed to give up its Early Retirement Incentive program. That concession has already saved the district nearly $100,000 and will continue to save money well into the future. The REA gave. During that same negotiations our group agreed to move all new hires to a 16-Step salary schedule. Again, this concession will save the district hundreds of thousands of dollars annually as more new hires come on line. The REA gave. During negotiations in 2012 the REA agreed to move those members on the Step schedule only a half-step rather than the typical full step. That agreement allowed RCS to save in excess of $1 million. The REA gave. Also during 2012 negotiations, due to state law changes, REA members taking the RCS health benefits began paying 20% of the premium effective January 1, 2013. They also doubled their deductibles and co-insurance contributions. That has allowed the district to save nearly $2 million this year alone. The REA gave.

During the past two years, state laws have been passed that now mandate teachers to contribute 3% of their salaries to retiree health care and up to an additional 4% of their salaries to the pension fund. Both were designed to help cap districts retirement contributions. The REA gave. And now, as we continue to work without a new contract state laws prevent the district from paying any Step or Lane changes. To date, the district has saved nearly $900,000 due to this law and continues to save nearly $13,000 each work day. Yes, the REA continues to give. Is it any wonder our membership feels like the stump of that tree? Our members are now working second jobs, are actively looking at openings in other districts where there is contractual stability, and, in several cases, are looking to get out of the profession altogether. When will this Board realize simply stating repeatedly that its a premier district does not make it so? Were a premier district because of the talent assembled here. As you make a conscious decision to freeze wages and increase the burden of healthcare costs to the very employees who help allow you to tout our student achievement scores, our college readiness, and the wide array of prestigious universities our graduates attend you are doing nothing but pruning this dedicated and dynamic Giving Tree.