Contract talks between Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) and the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) are entering their third month without a new agreement.
AAEA President Fred Klein says a state-appointed mediator is now relaying proposals between the teachers’ union and AAPS officials.
Bargaining has been underway since January, with major sticking points including pay raises, compensation for lesson planning time, and overall budgeting.
Klein says the union is drafting a counterproposal by March 19th after the state mediator informed them that their recent proposal was rejected.
“We presented the rationale for what we were looking for and what we were expecting. That went to the district. And a while later, they came back with a counter that was completely far off from where we were.”
In a statement shared with WEMU, AAPS Superintendent Jazz Parks says until a new contract is reached, their educators and staff remain covered under the terms of the most recent contracts.
The statement reads as follows:
"The Ann Arbor Public Schools is engaged in a mediated bargaining process with our teachers. We want to provide competitive wages to attract and retain high quality employees while remaining fiscally responsible to preserve the overall long-term health of the district.
Until a new contract is reached, our educators and staff remain covered under the terms of the most recent contracts, as required by law. The current AAEA collective bargaining agreement includes provisions for compensation for after school events and clubs.
The Ann Arbor Public Schools will continue bargaining with all employee groups in good faith."
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