Teachers One Step Closer to a Pay Raise in Miami-Dade
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Miami-Dade teachers are hoping to bump the starting salary to $40,000.
Miami-Dade teachers are one step closer to a pay raise.
The President of the teachers union, Karen Aronowitz, and her 28 member bargaining team signed off today on a tentative agreement that would provide salary increases while maintaining health care for teachers and education support professionals.
“Today we reached a contractual agreement with the district that moves us forward,” Aronowitz said.
Highlights of the Agreement:
Salary
- One step increase on the salary matrix for eligible teachers
- $40,000 starting salary for teachers
- $1,000 salary improvement at the top of the salary schedule making the top step worth $69,225
- 2.25% across the board increase for school support personnel (Paraprofessionals, Clerical and Security)
- All improvements to salary above effective December 21st (reflected on January 13 paycheck)
Health Insurance
- Maintained Employer paid free option for employee-only coverage
- Provided option for employees on OAP10 who pay for dependents to save money by switching to OAP20
- Reduced Co-pays by $20 for Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapies
- Maintained maximum out-of-pocket at 2012 levels
- Certain plan design and dependent premium changes were agreed to in return for the above
Future Salary and Health Care Re-openers
- The Agreement is for 3 years, with re-openers each year.
- UTD demanded and the parties agreed to return to the table in February 2013 to discuss salary and future steps, as well as insurance, for the next year.
The contract will now go before the bargaining unit for a vote.
A tentative date for the ratification vote is set for November 19th. And the School Board would then have to ratify the agreement on November 21st.
“Our teachers and education support professionals have made Miami-Dade public schools the premiere district in the nation,” Aronowitz said about the district that was recently awarded the best large, urban school district in the country.
“We think that this agreement is a sign that our economy is headed in the right direction.”
You can view the full tentative agreement on the United Teachers of Dade website here.