Broward School Board, BTU Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - Officials with the Broward Teachers Union and the Broward School Board announced late Thursday that they have reached a tentative contract agreement, the first in three years.

The two sides have tentatively agreed on $500 bonuses and no furlough days for the districts 14,470 teachers.  In addition, $60 million in federal Race to the Top and School Improvement funding for schools will be available to implement new state and federal program requirements.

In exchange for no furloughs, Broward teachers must agree to exchange two days off with pay during the Thanksgiving Holiday week for completing a training checklist of new evaluation requirements set forth by the Race to the Top program and state Senate Bill 736.

"We are pleased to announce this tentative agreement was reached just three days before our members' students arrive for the new school year," BTU President Pat Santeramo said in a statement. "Negotiators had to consider that districts throughout the state are offering no pay increases for education professionals and many are asking teachers to take salary cuts through furloughs. This is the best possible agreement – albeit far from perfect -- considering that we are in the worst economic downturn the State of Florida and the United States has experienced in decades."

Before being finalized and in the coming weeks, all members of the BTU's Education Professionals Bargaining Unit will have the chance to review the agreement.

The agreement was long overdue. Prior to submitting his resignation, Superintendent Jim Notter declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the BTU, and the union declared an impasse the year before.

Under Acting Superintendent Donnie Carter, Chief District Negotiator Dorothy Davis, BTU President Pat Santeramo, and BTU Chief Negotiator George Segna the two sides were able to reach the tentative deal which is similar to deals reached with teachers in Miami-Dade and West Palm Beach Counties.

Still on the table is the Broward teacher's desire for a Retirement Assistance Program (RAP), which currently does not exist. The union says negotiators agreed to form a committee to research the financial feasibility of the program. Those findings will be presented to the Superintendent and BTU President by January 31, 2012.