Public school teachers are not ready to go back to work despite Gov. Charles W. Turnbull signing a bill that identifies $11 million to raise their salaries.
They will be back at the negotiating table today to determine how the $11 million will be distributed and to try to get an additional $7.8 million.
"What we have to do today is to work on the figures we now have, and make sure the $2 million from HOVENSA is secured," Vernelle de Legarde, interim American Federation of Teachers president, said Friday morning.
Turnbull administration officials and teachers' union representatives met until late Thursday night at Government House trying to hammer out an agreement to get the teachers off the picket line and back in the classroom. The teachers' strike is in its eight day.
Turnbull late Thursday signed into law a bill passed in the Legislature last week giving the teachers $11 million from assorted sources, and an amendment giving the teachers $2 million from advance payment of HOVENSA property taxes.
But deLegarde said that is not enough. "Even with the $2 million from HOVENSA, it's not enough to get the teachers a $27,000 starting salary," she said. "We are still pushing for additional money, and to make sure what we have is secured."
She said today's session will focus on what kind of salary schedule they can work out with what is on the table. However, she said, "We are asking for $16 million," an additional $7.4 million over the initial $8.6 million the teachers rejected.
As for the $126 million retro wages owed the teachers, deLegarde said, "We want to put the entire thing on hold." The teachers had rejected a plan to pay them only half the retro when they rejected the government's initial offer.
Talks are scheduled to begin at 11.a.m.
