Edina teachers and school district negotiators will head back to the bargaining table after union members rejected a tentative 2009-11 contract settlement in a lopsided vote last week.
The district's inability to settle a teachers contract by the state's Jan. 15 deadline will cost it $230,000 in a state penalty -- unusual for Edina, which union president Van Anderson said traditionally has settled on time.
"It's pretty unprecedented," he said. "I think a similar situation has not occurred for a long time."
As of Saturday, Edina was among 28 Minnesota school districts yet to settle contracts.
More than 60 percent of the district's approximately 600 teachers voted against the proposed settlement, which included a one-half percent raise in the contract's first year and 1.5 percent in the second year. District officials say that over two years, total teacher compensation, including health insurance benefits, would have increased almost 6 percent.
The "no" vote followed almost 30 bargaining sessions, including several meetings with state mediators. Tentative agreements were reached twice, with teachers rejecting a previous proposal in October. Anderson said teachers generally feel not enough money was put on the table and that they are working harder but have less control and influence on decisions that affect their work. He said teachers would like the district to tap its fund balance to improve teacher pay.
School board Chairman Randy Meyer said he was "surprised" at the union's rejection of the tentative agreement. "We had worked hard on this," he said. "We thought it was a fair and equitable proposal."
Meyer pointed out that the district cut $1.6 million and 35 positions out of the 2009-10 budget. The district's offer compared well to settlements in nearby districts, he said.
