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The Bellevue school board and the local teachers union may start mediation next week over a proposed teacher contract that has been rejected twice.
Superintendent John Deegan said Wednesday that “we might have to get somebody in here to decide.”
Brad Wellmann, president of the Bellevue teachers union, said in a statement that his group would continue to negotiate and “continue to work with representatives from the Nebraska State Education Association as we move into this mediation stage of negotiations.”
No formal move toward mediation could be made before next Monday’s school board meeting.
Mediation over teacher contracts in Nebraska is rare, said Karen Kilgarin, spokeswoman for the NSEA, the state teachers union.
“Typically, local associations and school districts have been able to reach settlement at the table,” she said. “But (mediation is) a wonderful tool when you need a neutral third party.”
Teachers voted down the contract proposal this week after rejecting the initial contract earlier this fall.
This time around, more teachers voted, and a higher percentage cast votes against the contract.
In the first vote, about three-quarters of the teachers rejected the contract. In the second vote, about 84 percent voted it down.
School officials said that under both proposals, overall salary and benefits would have increased by more than 4.5 percent from last year.
Information provided to union members, however, says the package would increase by 4 percent. That includes an increase in base salary of 1 percent, to $30,325.
The proposals included more duty hours for teachers and no automatic raise for experience.
The Bellevue teachers union represents all teachers and nurses employed by the district. The proposed agreement would have also included school psychologists, physical therapists and occupational therapists.
Earlier this week, teachers and school board members in the Ralston Public Schools agreed to a contract for the current school year.
Teachers will receive a 2.6 percent pay increase and an overall package increase of 5.12 percent. Starting teachers will earn $30,745.
Contact the writer:
444-1037, michaela.saunders@owh.com
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