School Board OKs VBEST contract, 80/20 language of PA 152

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education met in a 15-minute special session Friday with a bare quorum to tend to two items removed from the Monday meeting agenda earlier in the week.
The board voted unanimously to approve the tentative one-year agreement with the Van Buren Educational Support Team (VBEST) that included:
• MESSA 500/1000 or ABC Plan 1, employee choice (80/20);
• Six Act of God days;
• Steps for all eligible employees;
• $1.10/hr. raise for paraprofessionals, on schedule;
• 0.5% raise for custodial, maintenance, transportation, and mechanics, on schedule;
• Other mutually agreed upon contract changes; and
• Current longevity language in the collective bargaining agreement sunsets end of contract. Transportation department will be added to custodial language for longevity pay.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said the reason it was removed from Monday’s agenda and approved in Friday’s meeting was because when VBEST voted on it June 20, the information provided to union members was slightly incorrect. He said they distributed the correct information to their members and then voted again during the week to again approve the contract.
In the next item of business during its meeting, the board approved the 80/20 language recommendation for Employer/Employee Health Care Cost Option as set forth in 2011 Public Act 152. This is for the medical benefit plan coverage year July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
One of the options is Section 4 of PA 152 which limits a public employer’s share of total annual health care costs to not more than 80%. This option requires an annual majority vote of the governing body.
The board also approved the resignations of David Fletcher, as of July 31, after 18 years on the grounds crew, and Allison Winters, as of June 27, after 1-1/2 years as a custodian.
During the public comment part of the meeting, Marcus Hosman, president of the Van Buren Education Association teachers’ union, spoke on the 80/20 resolution.
He said during negotiations of the recently approved VBEA contract, it was believed once the long-term contracts were all in place, the hardcap would be in effect, “to make sure we did the best for our members.”
He referred to another option of PA 152, Section 3 – “Hard Caps” Option, which limits a public employer’s total annual health care costs for employees based on coverage levels, as defined in the Act. [It is $18,200, going up to $18,500 in January.] A third option in PA 152 is for a local government to exempt itself from the requirements of the Act by an annual 2/3 vote of the governing body.
Hosman said they spent countless hours and days in negotiation and it was believed they were working to a hardcap. Now the district is moving back to 80/20. It simply changed.
“I feel that I’m Charlie Brown and Lucy keeps moving the football,” Hosman said.
He said when the other bargaining units were off the books, it was supposed to be hardcap flat for everyone.
He accused the district of pitting groups against each other. He said the bargaining was not right over the last two years.
Tim Miller, chief negotiator for the union, said after establishing stability and trust by agreeing to where they all are going, they make a sudden left turn.
Miller said the teachers came off the MESSA health care plan to a system the district recommends to begin to offer things the employees want. He said some teachers didn’t want to change. He said it is upsetting when suddenly “we make changes like this.”
Human Resource Director Abdul Madyun said it was difficult negotiating with VBEST, particularly with the subject of medical insurance.
“They did agree to take insurance that was less costly than before,” Director Madyun said, noting they kept to a one-year contract so next year “we can get them where we want them to be.”
He said any savings to the district in insurance costs was put on their salaries. Madyun said the paraprofessionals were grossly underpaid. He said they studied what other districts were paying in Wayne County and found Dearborn was paying $20/hour compared to Van Buren paying $14/hour after 15 years here.
“If they made other choices, it would have gone on their salaries,” Supt. Kudlak said.
Madyun said other groups got $2,000 each for changing to the new health care plan, but VBEST only got $750 because they chose to keep the much more expensive insurance.
While discussing the 80/20 option before the vote, Madyun explained whatever the cost of the medical insurance, the district pays 80%. This decision must be made every June and next year the board could decide not to do it.