By James Bell
Hays Post

After 14 negotiating sessions, two failed votes and a declaration of impasse, the Hays National Education Association and the USD 489 Board of Education came to another agreement for the 2015-2016 contract during mediation Tuesday evening.

Following hours of closed discussions the board offered the HNEA negotiators a simple solution to alleviate the repeated requests for movement on the vertical pay scale – six months of vertical movement, payable in June, contingent upon the State making no further cuts to education. The HNEA also had to agree to all other terms of the negotiations set in January.

The January agreement simplified sick day payouts and reduced retirement health benefits.

“We’re trying to show you we are serious in giving you this money,” said Lance Bickle, Board president.

While the HNEA negotiators were nervous about the contingency of cuts impacting the vertical movement, it serves as insurance for the district that funding cuts would not significantly damage the budget.

“If there’s cut in June we are in worse shape than we are now,” said Bill Jeter, Board attorney.

The HNEA negotiators questioned the board on the insecurity of passing this on to the voting block, without a guarantee of vertical movement.

“This is not very solid,” said Kim Schneweis, HNEA Bargaining Committee co-chairwoman.

But with uncertainty at the state level any guarantee may be moot.

“There is no way to make this positive, based on what the state is doing to you,” said John Doern, the mediator assigned to the district.

The HNEA negotiators will now present the negotiated contract to USD 489 teachers to vote on accepting the contract.

“We present it fairly and factually,” Schneweis said.

The HNEA hopes to hold votes in each district building this week.