Every contract tells a story. Each is unique, intended to meet the needs of the local union members and the community they serve. Some contracts reflect trends in education, as local unions try to meet the ongoing challenges of closing the achievement gap.

Many contracts are won with a minimum of pushing and pulling. Others turn into public disputes, and educators strive to unite communities and parents for benefit of schools, students and union members.

2008 has brought some interesting settlements and tactics as the search for new solutions and approaches continues.

"These contracts reflect districts and unions working together in the best interest of the community and kids," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. "They also demonstrate the value of strong leadership and member solidarity."

A North Country study in contrasts

The Hadley-Luzerne and Norwood-Norfolk districts bookend the Adirondacks, Hadley-Luzerne on the east, close to Lake George, Norwood-Norfolk on the west, between Potsdam and Massena. Both are small, rural districts, struggling with the challenge of affordable health care.

The Norwood-Norfolk TA, led by president Lynn Treers, has been without a successor agreement since 2004, largely over health care costs. The regional labor community rallied in support of the local late last month, including a visit from NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue.

The local school board has refused to agree to health care terms that every other district in the area has found acceptable.

Hadley-Luzerne TA, led by Phillipa Lauben, and the school board arrived at some commonsense solutions in health care bargaining. They agreed to a sick-day buyback to offset the rising cost of premiums for current employees and found ways to reduce the contributions for all retirees, while maintaining quality benefits.

Fighting for SRP rights

It's been a long fight for the Saugerties Education Support Association, led by Marine DiPaola. Local union members in the Hudson Valley community recently ratified a seven-year agreement, retroactive to July 2005. It provides financial gains of 4 percent each year, with 4.5 percent in the final year.

It also increases increments for secretaries, improves longevity caps, addresses seniority concerns and provides clearer disciplinary rights for members.

Negotiations were difficult until the community last year elected more pro-education board members, who set a new tone in relations with the district's unions. With the new board in place, the teachers local settled a long, difficult fight that included a threatened strike.

In the Rochester area, the Penfield Para Association — led by co-presidents Geoffrey Finch and Lora Giunta — recently wrapped up negotiations with a five-year agreement that includes new medical reimbursements and insurance improvements along with annual salary increases and wage and longevity adjustments. The previous agreement expired in 2006.

The Mahopac Teaching Assistants in Putnam County, led by Edith Sami, have also been standing together for a good contract since 2006. While they await a factfinder's report later this month, they have kept the pressure on the district by distributing flyers in the community and picketing in the town's shopping district.

PSC/UUP — defending public higher ed

While the City University of New York is one of the flagship public universities in the nation, the Professional Staff Congress, the NYSUT union representing CUNY faculty, is questioning the system's direction and its continued viability.

Working under the terms of a contract that expired in September, union members have protested at 12 campuses and demonstrated at the university's Board of Trustees meeting in April.

"CUNY needs to lift salaries to an acceptable level and address other critical issues," said Barbara Bowen, PSC president.

At the State University of New York, members of United University Professions have ratified their contract and await legislative approval authorizing their retroactive pay and negotiated raises. The union, led by President Phillip Smith, continues to fight a spending freeze proposal. "Unless these cuts are restored, SUNY will be effectively dismantled," Smith said.

Buffalo's fight for fairness

The 4,000 members of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, led by Phil Rumore, the Buffalo Education Support Team, led by Ellis Woods, and the Transportation Aides of Buffalo, led by Betty Martin, have all been working under the weight of the state emergency financial control board since 2004.

The board froze all salaries and step increases for Buffalo school employees and other municipal workers, forcing years of non-negotiated sacrifices. None of these workers has received a raise or salary increment since the board's decisions were imposed on them. The BTF has been fighting in court to block the imposition of a single health care plan when their contract calls for three options.

Pine Bush back from brink

After two years of hard bargaining and well-attended protests that included NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer Lee Cutler, the Pine Bush TA in Orange County reached a tentative agreement May 27, just hours before a scheduled 6 a.m. membership meeting to decide on a walkout. The agreement contains two important health insurance gains: Retirees will continue to have no premium share for health insurance, and the district will join the Empire Plan, providing better care for members and lower premiums for the district. Carla McLaud is president of the local.

Electric City gains

Members of the Schenectady Federation of Teachers, led by Juliet Benaquisto, recently ratified a four-year agreement that adds 30 minutes to the school day with a reduction in after-school work activities. Payment for unused sick leave at retirement was improved by an average of $5,000, depending on sick leave accumulations.

NYSUT pushes slow Pace

NYSUT is using its clout to keep the pressure on the Pace University administrators who are stalling negotiations with two locals — the Union of Adjunct Faculty at Pace and the Pace Transportation Union. NYSUT publications will no longer accept ads from Pace and its education school until the university moves forward with bargaining.

These NYSUT members have struggled for years to get the most basic standard of fairness — a negotiated contract. More member activity will continue to keep the pressure on the administration.

Greece grinds on

In Monroe County, negotiations continue to drag in one of the state's largest suburban school districts. The Greece Teachers Association, led by Don Pallozzi, is facing a district that wants to increase health care premiums, move employees into a plan with a higher co-pay and lengthen the school day by 30 minutes with a minimal increase in salary.

The local is resisting these setbacks and maintaining a high profile in the community to win a good contract.

Good Westchester VNA contract

The Federation of Visiting Nurses, led by Leslie Wardell, recently made some robust gains in its new contract. Negotiators significantly increased starting salaries, improved longevity payments, on-call pay and mileage reimbursements, and won a 10.5 percent increase through three years. They also strengthened their rights on the job by gaining binding arbitration for contract violations.

— Bernie Mulligan