Iowa City teachers, administrators differ on pay

IOWA CITY – Money is tight, Iowa City school administrators and teachers agree, but they disagree on what that should mean for how much teachers are paid.

Iowa City school district administrators and the Iowa City Education Association, which is the teachers union, met Wednesday to exchange initial contract proposals for next school year.

The union is seeking a 3 percent increase in base salary for the district's approximately 900 teachers. The district proposed no changes in the total package, which includes salary and benefits.

The negotiations will proceed in a state of uncertain, but seemingly dire, economic conditions. Republican state lawmakers have proposed not increasing allowable growth to schools, which school officials statewide say would lead to budget cuts.

“There are many unknowns, but we know one thing for sure: Monetary resources are limited and dwindling,” said Jim Pedersen, the district's human resources director.

Echoing statements he made during last year's initial bargaining meeting, Mitch Gross, a West High School teacher and one of the unions chief negotiators, said no one is disputing budgets are tight. But he said the economic downtown put more strain on teachers and, unlike private businesses, cutting production is not an option for schools.

“This is not the time to shortchange our students, nor the very teachers who every day put forth all that they have, and often do so under undesirable circumstances,” he said.

In the past, the union has proposed a total package increase, which includes salary, automatic pay increases based on salary schedules, health insurance and retirement contributions, but this year singled out wages.

J.P. Clausen, a West High teacher and the union's other chief negotiator, said benefits will increase no matter what. Going by total package can confuse some people who may think that's all a pay increase, he said.

For example, last year teachers got a 2.96 percent total package increase, but the actual salary increase was less than 1 percent, he said.

Last year, the negotiations went to arbitration, and the teachers union came out on top with the 2.96 percent. The district had offered a 2.5 percent increase.

In the initial proposals last year, the Iowa City Education Association sought a 5 percent total package increase, and the district countered with a 1 percent reduction.

The two sides will meet in closed session until April. If a settlement is not reached, a mediator will be brought in. If that fails, it would go to arbitration.