Supplemental Pay, Contract Negotiations Draw Teachers' Ire

A sense of growing unrest among Oak Creek teachers has been apparent in School Board meetings throughout the year, and that continued at the district's annual meeting Monday. 

In particular, teachers have told board members they are troubled over contract negotiations and a supplemental pay plan approved earlier this month. 


Under the plan, younger teachers will receive more in supplemental pay than their more experienced colleagues. 

Teachers making $51,000 or less are getting $1,750 added to their base wage; teachers with salaries of $51,000 to $62,000 will get $1,250; and teachers making more than $62,000 will get $750 in supplemental pay. 

Since Act 10 limits any pay increase to the consumer price index, which is 3.16 percent, many school districts have used supplemental pay as a way to give teachers additional money. 

Oak Creek-Franklin's supplemental pay plan hasn't sat well with many veteran teachers, who feel the district doesn't respect the years of experience they bring to the classroom. 

"I'm not saying experienced teachers should get more," high school teacher Kathy Scaffidi told the board Monday. "I think it's more fair to give teachers the same." 

School Board member Paul Mason defended the plan, saying many businesses have similar practices and teacher unions, too, have long negotiated higher pay for younger employees. 

"We feel very proud of the supplemental performance pay that we've been doing because a lot of districts aren’t doing that at all," he said.

Teachers have also called on the district for more cooperation in negotiating the union's next contract. While state law prohibits school districts from negotiating anything other than base salary, teachers say they have not had a constructive dialog with district administrators. 

"What's happening now is, we're getting something from the district saying, 'This is it. Period. Take it or leave it,' " said Scaffidi, who is a member of the union board. "There's no conversation."

School Board member Sheryl Cerniglia, noting the struggles between teachers and the district, called on the district to add a school board member to the negotiating team.

"In the past there has always been a collegial relationship between the district and the union. I'm sensing from a lot of different angles that hasn’t been happening lately," Cerniglia said. 

The School Board appreciated the teachers' input and will continue to discuss the issues raised, board President Frank Carini said.