Wayne-Westland teacher contract negotiations continue ahead of holiday break
WESTLAND, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Wayne-Westland Community School District teachers are still working without a contract as negotiations between the district and the teachers union continue.
Negotiations have been going on since March, and even when the two sides met on Monday, they still couldn't reach a deal as the clock neared 10 p.m. The clock is ticking to make some sort of progress before winter break.
The last time teachers in this district went this long without a new contract, they went on strike in 2008. With no additional negotiation dates set beyond Thursday, they're hoping to avoid repeating history.
Tonya Karpinski, MEA UniServ director for Wayne-Westland Community School District, says it all comes down to pay.
"We don't feel we're that far apart; unfortunately, we just really haven't seen any movement. The phrase we use a lot is the ability to pay versus the willingness to pay," she said.
Karpinski says the ability is there, claiming the district's general fund balance is at an all-time high, but teachers are choosing to leave the district after working five months without a new contract.
"We have staff that are saying, 'I can't continue to do this,' so they are retiring in December, or they're taking other jobs in other districts because they can't continue to wait for that additional compensation," Karpinski said.
Teachers are still operating under their old contract, which expired in August. Their pay remains the same, while district insurance rates and inflation continue to grow.
"The new insurance rates, that will be a huge increase starting Jan. 1, on top of no steps, on top of no financial improvement," Karpinski said.
The school district shared a statement, saying: "Wayne Westland Community Schools is dedicated to being fiscally sound while creating an environment where our students and staff can thrive…The District is dedicated to this process and to working together with our teachers' union to reach a mutually beneficial contract agreement."
