Some school districts in Wisconsin are rushing to extend teacher and other workers contracts, before Governor Walker's new law taking away most collective bargaining rights for public workers officially takes effect.
Barry Forbes, a staff attorney for Wisconsin School Boards Association, says that many schools are tempted right now to extend contracts, because teachers and other employees are willing to make financial concessions and schools want the labor stability that contracts afford.
However, Forbes says WASB's warning is that the world is changing so much and so quickly, as good as that particular deal sounds, educators may have to ask for more than that. He says he's advising schools not to sign contracts through the next few years because of unknowns-- like enrollment numbers and what the final budget will ultimately contain. Districts without contracts could seek deeper concessions from workers to deal with cuts.
The Columbus District recently signed a one year contract. Superintendent Bryan Davis says it was the right choice for his school.
"This entire process has created a lot of anxiety," says Davis. "And certainly we value what our teachers do and to provide them with some security moving forward we think is an important piece. And as we look at more concessions that we may have gotten, we have to be competitive in our workplace."
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Davis says his teachers agreed to the same concessions for pensions and health care required of public workers in Governor Walker's collective bargaining law, as well as additional post retirement benefit reductions.
That law won't take effect until the Secretary of the State publishes it, most likely later this month. The law is also being challenged in court.
Meanwhile, the City of Madison reached an agreement this weekend to extend contracts with its employees through mid-2013.
