EP Teachers Get Contract: From Last to Middle of Pack

"It was an amicable positive process" - Joel Monteiro.

During the City Council meeting of August 24th, the council unanimously approved a new contract for East Providence teachers. The new contract moves local teachers on the top payment step from about the lowest paid in Rhode Island to near middle of the pack. The teacher contract has been a sore spot for many educators after they were relegated to being one of the lowest paid in New England and had benefits slashed as well as retirees being cut back.

“This should help us compete for new teacher talent and hopefully help to keep our good teachers here instead of leaving our system,” said at-large school committee member Joel Monteiro. The contract also limits the ability of teachers to take personal leaves while seeking employment elsewhere. There appears to be more parameters for job bidding and other efforts to improve stability and proper teacher development.

City manager Tim Chapman and state financial adviser Paul Luba recommended approval of the contract. “This contract requires City Council ratification as well as approval by the budget commission’s financial adviser,” Chapman told the council.

Ward 4 councilman Brian Faria asked Luba where teachers stood currently and with the proposed new contract. “Where are they now?” Faria asked.

“I was involved with a majority of the negotiating sessions,” said Luba. “My opinion is that this is a reasonable contract for all. It is 1.6% over the three years. More importantly, it puts teachers at higher pay levels. This gets them to within the top 10 or 12 scales in Rhode Island,” added Luba. They (teachers) were pretty much at the bottom of the state scale. Your teachers teach in a large urban population, not without some challenges. I think it is a fair and adequate contract,” said Luba.

Faria asked about the process to pay for any necessary contract improvements. “That is the question,” said Luba. “Every other ciy and town is facing this issue, in relation to state funding, etc.,” he said. “I’ve asked for forecasts going forward and its not just schools. There are 8 contracts on the municipal side coming due also. We’ll have to face that in the budget.

“It was a very amicable negotiation and fair to all sides,” said Joel Monteiro after the meeting.

Charter Action:
In other action the council basically approved recommendations from the charter commission setting up a November 2017 special election on language. The vote to elect East Providence’s first ever Mayor will be in November, 2018. The objective was to correct ambiguous language regarding the Fund Balance calculation, increase the total fund balance requirement (rainy day fund) from ten percent (10%) to twelve percent (12%) and decrease the restricted fund balance from ten percent (10%) to seven percent (7%). The action will also create a new five percent (5%) unrestricted fund balance and create a one point seventy-five percent (1.75%) capital projects fund. Capital projects shall not include debt reduction, principal or interest payments on debt, or for any other type of financing arrangement, but shall only be used for payment of direct actual expenses incurred for capital projects.