Negotiations between the Cass Lake-Bena School District and the Cass Lake-Bena Education Support Professionals (CLBESP) have been ongoing since July. CLBESP brought forward 20 different proposals at the start of the negotiations, and the district brought one proposal forward around contract language. A number of items have reached a tentative agreement (TA) status, which means both negotiating parties agreed; final approval rests with the voting members of both the bargaining unit and the school board.
The following items have reached tentative agreement status:
A requirement that all food service personnel hired after September 1, 2025 achieve a passing score on the SERV Safe test and be certified as a SERV Safe Food Handler. The district pays for the cost of training and recertification.
Add language to the existing wellness incentive program that rewards employees who limit their use of sick leave from September 1 through June 1 (school year). The new language states that employees who take unpaid leave during that time are not eligible for the wellness incentive.
Language to ensure that unit members who are licensed as short call teacher substitutes, and who serve in that capacity, retain all rights and benefits of the bargaining unit. The measure also sets a minimum hourly rate for said work at $30/hour or their regular rate of pay, whichever is more.
Added language regarding E-Learning, to clarify that staff should be assigned work that they are able to do from an alternate location, that staff who are directed by administration to report to the jobsite be compensated at time and a half for those hours. The agreed language also states that employees who choose on their own to come to their worksite will not be paid additional compensation.
Added language to clarify substituting for other unit members.
Agreed to provide language that would allow union leadership to participate in training, meetings, etc. called by the union, without having to use their own personal or vacation leave. This is not applicable to routine negotiations sessions.
Agreed to increase the cap on the district’s contribution to a 403B retirement plan (a pre-tax deduction in addition to the regular PERA retirement plan) from $30,000 to $40,000.
Agreed to adopt statutory language related to Earned Safe and Sick Time and to set the contributions to the new state Paid Family Medical Leave at the statutory 50% employee/50%employer contribution.
There are a number of proposals still needing resolution.
Earned Vacation Time: CLBESP has proposed to increase earned vacation for 12 month employees at a graduated rate from 1 day per month, 1.5 days per month, 2 days per month and 2.5 days per month, depending on length of service. The district counter is to expand the number of staff eligible for 1.5 days per month, but cap accrual at 2 days per month.
MEA Break as a Paid Holiday: CLBESP has proposed counting the two days in October that are typically dedicated to MEA break as a paid holiday for all staff. This would bring paid holidays for 12 month staff to 16 days and for less than 12 months, to 10 or 11 depending on if the individual is scheduled to work June 19. The district response has been that MEA was traditionally a 2 day break for training and workshops for teaching staff, and since that offering has now shrunk to 1 day, there may be a time in the future when the calendar may include school on one or both of those days. Additionally, the MEA break is often when custodians can do additional deep cleaning that can’t be done when others are in the building and there would be a significant cost to adding that as a paid holiday, since the district would be required to pay school-term staff for two additional days.
Vacation Accumulation and Vacation Buy Back: CLBESP has proposed increasing the number of hours employees can accumulate from 300 hours to 325 hours. As part of this proposal, the number of hours an employee can cash out each year would rise from 80 hours to 100 hours. The district has not provided a counter offer to this proposal.
Paid Lunch: CLBESP has proposed to allow a 30 minute paid lunch break for its membership. Currently, members are allowed a duty free lunch that they clock out for. The district has noted that the current practice is consistent with hourly employees in the area.
Flex Benefit Increase: CLBESP has proposed to increase the payment in lieu of health insurance premiums (which can be paid as a cash option) in a graduated amount depending on the length of an employee’s work year. Current amounts are listed first and proposed amounts follow. 12 Month - $230/month $460/month 11 month $225/month $450/month; 10 month $215/month $430/month; 9 month employee $210/month $420/month. All payments are made for a full 12 month period.
The district offered the following as a counter offer: Raise the cash in lieu payment to $325/month for all employees who elect to not take the district-offered health insurance. AND change the language of the current health insurance plan from covering the full cost of a single policy to a defined dollar amount of $980/month for all eligible employees. This is an increase of $50 over what is currently paid, but caps the district contribution until new amounts are negotiated.
Current Employee Wages: CLBESP initially proposed a $3.10/hour increase in year 1 and a 5% increase in year 2 to all current employees. The most recent proposal from CLBESP is for an increase of $2.25 year one and year 2 a 3.5% for all current employees. The district has countered at a 2% increase year 1 and a 2% increase in year two. This is consistent with the established budget and what the district can afford to offer.
Longevity: CLBESP has proposed an increase to the longevity stipends received by employees based on length of service. Current amounts are listed first, proposed amounts follow. 5-9 years service $550/$1,000; 10-14 years service $800/$1500; 15-19 years service $1,050/$2,000; 20+ years service $1,300/$2,500. The district has not proposed a counter offer on this request.
The next negotiations meeting between the CLBESP bargaining unit and the School District negotiations team is set for Tuesday October 28, 2005 in the high school meeting room.