Last Wednesday an emergency session was called to relay the decision made on the allocation of money from the Educator’s Health Alliance Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance premium holiday.  At stake was up to $600 per participating instructor, and debate between negotiators for the teachers and for the Board of Education in the office of superintendent Troy Unzicker became heated.

“We have had teacher-board negotiations for three months,” said Danielle Reader, head negotiator for the Board of Education. “The situation got pretty passionate.”

Blue Cross/Blue Shield allowed school districts to forego payment on their December premiums, provided the board of education and the teachers union could agree to an allocation of the savings by November 1. By law, an alteration of a specific item that occurs during the contract year that is part of the negotiated agreement requires the board’s negotiation’s committee to sit down at the table with the local education association negotiation’s team.

According to a board statement, Kimball Public Schools were notified of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield premium holiday after contract negotiations had been settled with the teachers. It did not affect teacher salary or benefits that had been previously agreed upon.

The board’s negotiation team, headed by Reader, its vice president met with the Kimball Education Association’s group over the course of summer. The teachers asked that each bargaining unit member, or BUM, be paid $450 cash.

The board initially rejected the cash payment option, instead suggesting that this reduction in expenses be directed in some way toward education.

School board negotiators offered $600 per BUM to go towards one of two things: credit hours for continuing education, or classroom items that are not normally classroom supplies which would benefit the education process, such as iPads or laptops.  Each BUM could make the selection of their choice from these two options.

The education association felt that equity among the BUM’s could not be achieved by selecting one of these two options.

A third option emerged from negotiations, which would give $300 to each teacher who is a member of the bargaining unit. Individual BUMs could not pick one of the three options. The group had to agree as a whole on only one.

The bargaining unit members voted and agreed, by a vote of 32 to 18, to accept $300 cash for each bargaining unit member.

“We’re glad we came to an agreement”, said Linda Mihm, head negotiator for the KEA(Kimball Education Assoiation).

“It’s time to mend on both sides,” Reader agreed.