TERRE HAUTE —
Even though a new contract can’t be approved until Aug. 1, informal collective bargaining has already begun between the Vigo County School Corp. and Vigo County Teachers Association.
Significant changes in state law prohibit collective bargaining on anything other than salary, wages and benefits, according to Craig Blume, director of Uniserv and organizing for the Indiana State Teachers Association.
In Vigo County, negotiating teams had their first meeting Nov. 27, said Superintendent Dan Tanoos. They’ll meet again in late January.
On Thursday, Tanoos, chief negotiator Chuck Rubright, the district’s bargaining team and several central office staff met to talk about the current contract and negotiations. The existing two-year contract expires July 31.
According to Blume, “The playing field is no longer level” in teacher contract talks statewide. “It has been severely skewed in favor of the administration by the new legislation.”
Tanoos says that in Vigo County, both sides have worked well together in the past and that will continue. He meets regularly with Mark Lee, president of the Vigo County Teachers Association.
“There’s no sense in it being an us vs. them” situation, Tanoos said. “We’re going to treat our teachers as professionals, as we have in the past.”
The negotiating teams will work together to come up with a collective bargaining agreement.
In addition, there will be a separate set of administrative guidelines that deal with such areas as working conditions, which can no longer be included in the contract.
Those administrative guidelines will be a “side agreement,” based on discussions between the administration and VCTA teams, Tanoos said.
As an example, he said he “strongly believes” there should be administrative guidelines for faculty meetings so there is consistency among schools. “I think there has to be a commonality in some areas,” Tanoos said.
The administrative guidelines will be “fair to our teachers” and they will “produce good teaching and learning,” he said.
Most of what’s in the current teacher’s contract benefits teaching and learning, Tanoos said, “but there are some items that administratively we would like to see go away.” The district will probably not agree to include them in a separate agreement.
He said he could not talk about specifics.
Tanoos said the district has received guidance from the School Board on “what direction they’d like to see us go in terms of discussions.”
He’s aware that contentious contract talks are occurring in some other districts around the state, but here, “We are going to work together,” Tanoos said.
Lee, VCTA president, could not be reached for comment Friday.
Blume noted that under the new law, formal bargaining cannot begin until Aug. 1, which is when a new contract can be ratified.
The law spells out clear timelines for collective bargaining, Blume said. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by Sept. 30, an impasse is declared and the state assigns a mediator.
They have until mid-November to try and reach an agreement, and if that doesn’t happen, both sides must submit their sealed, last best offer. A factfinder is assigned and each side can present rationale in support of its final offer.
The factfinder then decides on one of the offers, but it cannot be a “mix and match” of both, Blume said. According to the law, the entire process must conclude by Dec. 31.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Vigo schools begin collective bargaining process
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Co-Op to Feed group delivering to needy
Three Terre Haute organizations are teaming up to deliver food boxes to “the neediest of needy” with specific health concerns on a monthly basis.
-
Field trips to take big hit next year
The Vigo County School Corp. plans to inform school staff of “deep cuts” in student field trips for the next school year, Superintendent Dan Tanoos said Friday.
-
Donation drive in Valley aims to send help to Oklahoma tornado victims
Terre Haute Ministries, along with WTWO, WAWV, Q102.7 and 100.7 Mix-FM are joining forces to help those impacted by tornadoes in Moore, Okla.
-
Invention makes houses safer from tornadoes
A Terre Haute man has developed a building construction system that increases the strength of a home, especially from a tornado.
-
ISU to stage public hearing on proposed tuition increase
Indiana State University will conduct a public hearing at 2 p.m. June 4 to receive input on a proposed 1.95 percent increase in student tuition and mandatory fees for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years.
-
Trial date set for man accused of attacking Vigo County deputy
A Terre Haute man accused of attacking a Vigo County Sheriff’s Deputy has an Aug. 12 trial date.
-
Technology speeds disaster alerts, response
Caitria O’Neill remembers her reaction to hearing tornado warnings on June 1, 2011. She went to the grocery store, she said, “because I live in Massachusetts, and we don’t get tornadoes.”
-
Health information to be provided for blood donors
People who give blood at Clinton Gardens’ blood drive Tuesday will leave knowing valuable information about their health. Donors will find out their cholesterol level, blood pressure, blood type and iron levels at no cost.
-
‘This is the best day of my life’
-
Sullivan man airlifted to Indy after crash
A Sullivan man was in critical condition at an Indianapolis hospital Friday after his pickup truck collided with a tanker truck in Sullivan County.
-
Veterans Memorial Park dedication set for Monday
Memorial Day ceremonies will include a special event this year.
-
Ill. House approves guns plan opposed by governor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gun owners in the only state still banning concealed weapons would win that right under a plan approved by the Illinois House on Friday, but the governor and other powerful Democrats oppose the plan because it would wipe out local gun ordinances — including Chicago's ban on assault weapons.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 24, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Thursday and Friday, based on jail records.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 23, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Wednesday and Thursday, based on jail records.
-
Relic from another age: Massive find
A mastodon that lived in the Wabash Valley thousands of years ago is making big news today.
-
Game Over: Financial tightening causes VCSC to drop St. Patrick’s from athletic schedule
St. Patrick’s School athletic teams will not have an opportunity to compete against their Vigo County School Corp. middle school counterparts next year.
-
Katelyn Newell finally at home
After nearly five months, 8-year-old Katelyn Newell finally returned home Thursday evening — with a new heart.
-
Indiana State U. Police officer honored with Artz Award
Thursday was a special day for Indiana State University Police Officer Christopher Heleine in multiple ways.
-
City Council considering three for consultant
Three different tax professionals vied Thursday for a chance to become a “financial consultant” to the Terre Haute City Council.
-
Clay County sheriff warns of bank card scam
The Clay County Sheriff’s Department has received information regarding a scam targeting residents, according to a news release from the sheriff’s department.
-
State Police seek help with Sullivan County homicide
Indiana State Police detectives from the Putnamville Post are seeking help from the public with the nearly six-month investigation into the death of 85-year-old Lowell R. Badger, a rural Sullivan County farmer.
-
Man who attacked Vigo deputy arrested
A Terre Haute man accused of attacking a Vigo County sheriff’s deputy earlier this week is facing felony charges in the Vigo County jail.
-
INDOT to bid final 641 phase
The final construction phase of the 641 bypass is scheduled to let for bids on Dec. 11, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
-
District office moves north
The Southwest District office of the Purdue Extension service has been moved north from Vincennes to Terre Haute.
-
Day is done…
The sun sets Thursday evening as seen from south of Terre Haute.
-
Morning update: I-5 bridge collapse caused by truck hitting span
The Washington State Patrol chief says the Interstate 5 bridge collapse into the Skagit (SKA'-jiht) River at Mount Vernon was caused by an oversize truck.
-
UPDATE: I-70 lanes in Putnam County now open
The west-bound lanes of Interstate 70 re-opened Thursday evening after being temporarily closed due to a crash near the Greencastle/Cloverdale exit.
-
22-hospital St. Vincent Health cutting jobs
INDIANAPOLIS — One of Indiana’s largest health systems says it’s cutting an undisclosed number of jobs by June 30 because of increasing economic and competitive pressure on the health care industry.
-
Update: Cleanup from overturned truck in Greene County continues
Fuel spillage from the dump truck hauling gravel that overturned this morning in Greene County at Indiana 54 and County Road 725 East near Ridgeport continues to restrict traffic to one lane.
-
17-pound bone found during Vigo flood cleanup
TERRE HAUTE — Crews cleaning up from Wabash River flooding in Vigo County came across a 17-pound bone that they believe might have come from an ancient mastodon.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-




