Teachers Union Sues West Bloomfield School District

The West Bloomfield teachers union is taking the school district to court over the imposition of pay cuts after 18 months of failed contract negotiations.

The West Bloomfield Education Association filed an injunction last week alleging that the “unilateral” 10 percent pay cut and retroactive step freeze imposed on teachers by the Board of Education at its meeting was in violation of Michigan’s Public Employment Relations Act regarding unfair labor practices.

“The Association discovered before the Board had even voted on an impasse resolution, the administration had imposed a retroactive salary reduction,” the West Bloomfield Education Association states in its request for an injunction. 

A summons was issued May 2 and the district has three weeks to respond.

West Bloomfield High School Spanish teacher Heather Crewes said during the public comments portion of that March 31 meeting that her paycheck for that week had already been cut to reflect the 10 percent reduction.

“I changed my bank to do direct deposit just before (imposition) happened, and the board told me they would send a paper check,” Crewes said at the time. “They sent it to the school and instructed me to pick it up. After I did and noticed the decrease, without any changes to my deductions, I called the office and got no answer. They called me back and asked me to return the check, so I refused and went to the union.”

Superintendent JoAnn Andrees issued a statement April 1 in reply to the union’s allegations, explaining that given the volume of checks to be adjusted and the time required, administration had prepared payroll earlier that week not knowing what the board would do at the meeting.

“School administration often has prior notice of matters that are to come before the Board of Education for discussion and decision," Andrees said in the statement. "Typically, school administration acts to put procedures in place ahead of time so that, if the Board actually makes a decision, the decision can be effected. This type of planning is routinely accomplished in advance of any decision of the Board. Such is true regarding the teacher salary reduction matter.”

The May court filing also claims the board violated the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions by imposing the contract and breached the teachers’ individual contracts by forcing its tenured teachers in the fall of 2010 to sign a revised contract, to “specifically contradict the parties’ collective bargaining agreement.”

A hearing before the Michigan Employment Relations Council (MERC) on the charge of unfair labor practices is scheduled for July 7. The union is asking that the Oakland County Circuit Court require the board to show cause why the status quo should not be maintained, pending a final decision of the MERC. The union also asks for losses returned, plus interest, as well as attorney fees, from the district.

The district refused to comment at the action and union officials could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.