Part II - Unpacking the Fact Finders Report for the Marion CrossTeachers Contract

Part II of II

Here is my summary of the Fact Finders Report discussed some on the listserv. 
I broke my summary into two parts to avoid an extremely long listserv post.  
The Fact Finders Report is an important document regarding the labor impasse 
between the Norwich Teachers Association and the Norwich School District. 
Note that this collective bargaining dispute involves only the Marion Cross 
School, its 296 students and 35 teachers. 

In all, the Norwich Fact Finding Report And Recommendations addressed five 
issues, with Issue Number 3 and Number 4 being the big ticket items of salary 
increases and health insurance. Part I addressed those big ticket items. This 
Part II addresses the remaining three issues. 

Issue Number 1 dealt with bereavement leave. Teachers currently get up to 3 
days “per occurrence” for the death a person within a broad definition of 
“immediate family”. The teachers proposed up to 3 days “per occurrence” 
because of “a death”. The teachers said the proposal was to account for 
non-traditional families. However, the proposal seem to allow bereavement 
leave for death of anyone, including the March death of rock n roll legend 
Chuck Berry. The recommendation of the Fact Finder was to add a death of “a 
person living in the teacher’s immediate household,” Report at 7, although I 
think the use of “immediate” in household might create confusion with the 
broad definition of “immediate family”. 

For Issue Number 2, the teachers wanted to expand from 5 to 15, the number of 
accumulated sick days the father of child of a newborn could use for parental 
leave, in addition to the days allowed under the Vermont and Federal family 
leave laws. The Fact Finder side with the School District, finding that the 
use of 5 sick days “already exceeds what is available to teachers in 
comparable districts.” Report at 9.

Finally, Issue Number 5 addressed college course reimbursement for continuing 
education and advanced degrees. The School District wanted to reduce the 
benefit from $40,000 per year to $30,000. Although the Fact Finder agreed 
with the School that the benefit was “generous”, was not convinced that it 
“should be reduced at this time.” Report at 25.