CCSD Teachers Win One

Clark County school teachers won 1 round today when CCSD decided to go with the more expensive health care plan.
From the LVRJ:After months of neither side budging, the school district has dropped its demand for the teachers union to give up the Teachers Health Trust it created, according to a Thursday announcement from the Clark County Education Association.
This doesn't bring the two parties closer to a contract agreement for the next two years. Replacing the trust, which provides teachers with health insurance, was never part of the $78 million in concessions that the district is seeking from teachers to balance its budget from 2011-13. The district sought the concession over the health trust to potentially save money, according to the union.
To close the $78 million hole, the district needs to freeze teacher salaries, and teachers must continue to pay into the state employees' retirement system.  
 http://www.lvrj.com/news/teachers-health-trust-no-longer-issue-in-contract-talks-139072289.html
This has to be a slap in the face to the new Superintendent, Dwight Jones, as he championed the switch of health care insurances from Teachers Health Trust to another health care insurance company.  My guess is that members of the school board refused to back Jones on this fight.
When Jones was hired as Superintendent of CCSD, I thought he was the least qualified of the 3 finalists, but I have been wrong.  He has been a tough leader but fair.  He has thoroughly pissed off the teacher's union with his reform proposals.  However, many members of the school board are bought and paid for by the teacher's union and this decision was payback to the union.
Here is more information about the health insurance issues: http://www.lvrj.com/news/teachers-health-trust-no-longer-issue-in-contract-talks-139072289.html