Hillsborough County teachers need more time for planning and may get it by the end of this month. The school district is considering a plan to release students from schools early one day every month. ...more

October 2, 2008

A spokesman for a labor union said it reached a tentative agreement with Elberta Crate and Box Company, months after it accused its Avon Park plant of several cases of creating a hostile work environment. ...more

August 12, 2008

There's still hope for commuters in New Tampa and Pasco County longing for a connection between New Tampa Boulevard and Interstate 275. ...more

July 23, 2008

The developer of a massive town home project could be exempted from the new municipal sprinkler law, under a tentative agreement reached with city officials. ...more

June 23, 2008

Negotiators on a five-year, $300 billion farm bill say they have reached a tentative agreement on the legislation and it will be considered by the House and Senate next week. ...more

May 8, 2008

After declaring an impasse over salary talks just weeks ago, leaders at the University of South Florida and the union representing campus police officers reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. ...more

January 22, 2008

SEBRING — An oversight by school district and support personnel negotiators will require another bargaining session to work out details on incentive pay. As the school board was about to approve the support union employment contract recently it was pointed out that a small portion of the contract was not in the agreement the employees ratified Dec. 2. The language concerned job incentive pay for employees with two- or four-year college degrees. "That poses for us a potential problem," said Sam Lee, negotiator for the school district. "It is my opinion that should the board adopt page 21 ... you in all probability will have committed an unfair labor practice," because it was not included in the contract ratified by the employees. ...more

December 16, 2007

The curtain is up. The kilns are ready for firing. A growing list of classes and teachers is in the queue. ...more

December 13, 2007

SEBRING — One school bus driver hopes the district's support workers vote down the tentative contract agreement Sunday so a better salary increase can be negotiated. According to the School Board of Highlands County, the tentative agreement reached Nov. 9 calls for an average salary increase of 4 percent and a total salary and benefit package increase of 5.86 percent. According to the tentative agreement, each pay step will increase by 2 percent. Each year everyone moves up a step, except the senior employees, who have reached the top pay step. About one-third of the 700 support staff are at the top of the salary schedule and will be getting a 2 percent raise. "When we vote on our contract, we are voting on a 2 percent increase — period," said Mary Hein, a bus driver. "We are not voting on 4 percent. It would be nice if they increased my step by 4 percent, but they are not." The substitute drivers would only get a 2 percent raise because their pay is solely based on hourly salary, she said. ...more

November 28, 2007

SEBRING — After continuing to work under last year's contract since the start of the school year, the school district's support personnel will likely get their annual salary increase along with a retroactive raise before the holidays. The Highlands County Educational Support Personnel Association and the School Board of Highlands County reached a tentative contract agreement late Monday afternoon. The tentative agreement calls for an average salary increase of 4 percent and a total salary and benefit package increase of 5.86 percent. ...more

November 14, 2007