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AFT MEMBERS APPROVE NEW PAY PACT

Aug. 29, 2001 — Members of both American Federation of Teachers locals in the territory overwhelmingly approved a new contract Wednesday evening.
In the St. Thomas-St. John chapter of the AFT, members voted 264-15 in favor of a new contract contract presented to them by president Glen Smith at the Charlotte Amalie High School auditorium. At the Education Complex on St. Croix, members voted 279 in favor and 37 against.
The three-year contract, retroactive to Sept. 1, 2001 through 2004, gives across-the-board increases of 8 percent the first year, 3 percent the second year and 2.5 percent the third year. After that a new contract will be negotiated.
The raises include certified and non-certified teachers, paraprofessionals, nurses and support staff for the approximately 2,300 AFT members throughout the territory.
The atmosphere on both islands was dramatically different than at last year's ratification meetings, which ended in an 18-day strike. On St. Thomas, AFT members appeared relaxed as they went into the auditorium and almost to a person, were all smiles as they greeted each other on the way out.
"This is the first time they have come to us first, before time to reopen negotiations," Patricia Hector, a 27-year remedial reading teacher at St. Thomas’ Evelyn Marcelli Elementary School said. "I'm pleased, very pleased."
Hector said the new contract doesn't do the steps diagonally, as the old contracts have. For example, she said, "I will be seeing a raise each year for three years, but I wont be moving diagonally to the next step, but that's OK; I'll get increases every year, and at the end of three years, we'll renegotiate. It's a new paradigm."
Hector said some people objected because they were still thinking in terms of step increases. And that worry will be addressed, said Tyrone Molyneaux, president of the St. Croix AFT. He said that generally, union officials were pleased with the contract, "but we have some mixed feelings . . . in the sense that we’re hoping to get back to the table with the administration and take a closer look at the salary schedule."
Smith agreed, saying it is "no longer feasible to extend the step schedule beyond 25 years. We want to shrink the pay schedule gradually. You reach a point where you max out."
Molyneaux said the increases work well for teachers who have been in the system for decades. But for those working for five or six years, the 25 to 26 steps in the salary schedule mean those people would "have to work 30 years to get a decent salary." Now he said, those teachers are on step two.
Molyneaux also said the starting salary – $25,788 – won’t do much in the way of attracting new teachers to the territory’s public schools.
"That’s not going to solve the problem of recruitment," he said.
Still, Molyneaux said, he is "looking at it positively that the government will continue talking to us about revamping the schedule, to bring more equilibrium."
Vernelle de Legard, who will replace Smith as the St. Thomas AFT president Saturday, said the vote was "very good."
"Now we can get to other issues," she said.
She said her three priorities are political awareness, professional development, and a new approach to organization.

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