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Union president urges fair bargaining as MCCSC opens public hearing on teacher compensation
Summary
At a required public hearing ahead of collective bargaining, MCEA president Noble Kucera told the MCCSC board the union will seek wages and benefit improvements and said state funding cuts have left teachers struggling; the hearing consisted of one public comment and then closed to permit bargaining to proceed.
The Monroe County teachers’ exclusive representative opened the public hearing on teacher compensation at the Monroe County Community School Corporation meeting on Aug. 26, urging the board to bargain in good faith as formal negotiations approach.
Jenny Noble Kucera, president of the MCEA, said the union will begin collective bargaining next month and listed subjects covered under state law, including salary, wages and wage-related fringe benefits such as health and dental insurance, retirement benefits and paid time off.
“Everyone here knows that the state has robbed us of the funding public schools across the state need,” Kucera said. “No one this year expects a significant raise, but we do expect to bargain in good faith for an agreement that respects the dignity and needs of all teachers in the bargaining unit.”
Kucera described classroom pressures including fewer teachers than last year, the cost of family benefits and the need for policies that keep teachers from having to take second jobs. She said bargaining priorities include affordable medical, dental and vision insurance, professional growth support and measures that increase stability for teachers who are also parents.
Chair closed the public hearing after Kucera’s remarks and the board opened its regular meeting. No formal bargaining outcomes were recorded at the meeting; the hearing provided the public testimony required under Indiana law before formal collective bargaining begins.
Why it matters: The public hearing fulfills a statutory requirement and gives the union an opportunity to publicly state bargaining priorities ahead of formal negotiations. Funding and benefit negotiations affect teacher recruitment, retention and classroom stability.
What’s next: The MCEA and district officials will begin collective bargaining in the coming month; the board and the union will follow statutory negotiation processes.
