Teacher' New Pay-benefit Bid Narrows Gap

The third salary and fringe benefit proposal of the Ann Arbor Teachers' Association (AATA) - a $1.4 million package presented to the Board of Education's negotiators last nigrt- has "narrowed the gap a good deal, but it is still very wide." This was Trustee Joseph R. Julin's appraisal of the teachers' latest proposal, which is a 5600,000 reduction from their second proposal, presented Feb. 13, and a $1.1 million decrease from the AATA's original proposal given last December. Julin added that the main ferenee bétween the two sides is that "the board has offered a modest cost of living increment, w h i 1 e the association seeks to substantially improve the salary structure beyond the cost of living rise." Concerning the teachers' proposal last night, AATA President Donald Newsted said "the AATA negotiating team made it clear to the board's (negotiating) team that this is the lowest proposal they can make without further direction from the total bargaining unit." Newsted added that a special feature of last night's proposal ís a "three-year index plan, whereby in the third year of the plan, the MA maximum index would be doublé the BA minimum (index). The BA minimum salary for the second and third year of the plan would be open for negotiation." (An index is the percentage increase for salary levéis above the base salary, which in turn is the starting salary for teachers with a bachelor's degree and no experience). Originally, the teachers' group had requested that the MA maximum index be made doublé the BA minimum index during 1968-69. The teachers' $600,000 salary] and fringe-benefit reduction is the result of lower BA and MA maximum salaries than had been proposed Feb. 13. According to the new plan, the salary of teachers with a bachelor's degree would range from $6,500 to $11,050, instead of $11,700 originally proposed. The salary of teachers with a master's degree would range from $7,150 to $12,350, instead of the $13,000 maximum originally requested. The current starting salary for a teacher with a BA degree is $6,000. For a teacher with al master's degree, it is $6,300. Last night's AATA proposal also included full family hospitalization insurance, $10,000 term life insurance policies and continuation of the super-maxImum pay plan (a merit plan of pay increases for veteran teachers). Two weeks ago, the Board of Education's negotiating team offered the teachers fully - paid 'amily hospitalization insurance, and has also agreed to continue the super-maximum plan. The $10,000 life insurance policies have not been offered by the board. The Board of Education has offered the teachers a salary and fringe - benefit package which would cost the board about $400,000 more than the 1967-68 contract - a $1.57 million settlement. The board's offer includes $200 raises for teachers beyond step 10 of the current salary schedule, and the normal yearly increases specified in the 1967-68 contract for teachers below step 10. . The proposed hike for the veteran teachers would mean an increase in their maximum salary from $10,140 to $10,340 for teachers with a BA degree, and from $11,070 to $11,270 for those with an MA degree. Trustee Joseph R. Julin, chairman of the board's negotiating team, said the board would "return . . . with its reaction to the offer on the table within two weeks." "We agreed to do everything possible," he added, "to reach agreement as soon as possible so as to avoid any threat of a strike next fall - a strike which both sides agreed would be demoralizing to the teachers and disruptive to education. "The latest teachers' proposal leaves us some $1 million apart Given the mimimal funds within which we (the Board of Education) have to provide salary increases, this is still a substantial distance. "Once again, the board has agreed to reassess possible alternatives to reach a settlement . . .", Julin said. The two teams will meet next week to discuss non-economie items. Last night's meeting was an executive session. At the request of the teachers, all negotiating meetings since Jan. 16 have been executive sessions.