The Scotia-Glenville school district has settled a nearly 2-year-old contract dispute with its school aides’ and monitors’ union.
The Board of Education on Monday approved the three-year agreement retroactive to July 1, 2009. The 83 members of the union will receive 3 percent raises for 2009-2010, 2 percent for the current year and 2 percent for 2011-2012.
District spokesman Robert Hanlon said he was not sure exactly why the agreement took so long to reach but said the uncertain economy and declining state aid likely played a factor.
“I think schools are under a lot of pressure to make sure they are negotiating pretty tight agreements with folks that fall within their ability to pay,” he said.
These employees generally make $9 to $10 per hour, according to Hanlon. Starting this July, the starting wage will be bumped up 20 cents to $9.20 an hour.
Also, employees get additional longevity bonuses after certain specified intervals — an additional 20 cents per hour after their sixth and seventh year; 30 cents an hour after their 10th; 40 cents an hour after their 11th; and 50 cents after their 12th.
The agreement also contains health care changes that Scotia-Glenville has been implementing with all of its bargaining units, according to Hanlon. The district is switching from health maintenance organization plans to exclusive provider organization plans for CDPHP and MVP. The difference is the new plans base the premiums on how much health care a smaller group of public school employees use instead of the community at large.
“School employees are pretty healthy, by and large,” Hanlon said. “What it does is it lowers the premium for the school district but it also lowers the premium for the employee.”
The district’s secretaries, building administrators, building and grounds personnel, nurses and bus driver unions have all made the switch.
In other business, the district has accepted a donation by the Glenville-based U.S. Marine Corps-Fox Company of 300 “gently used” basketballs to Glendaal Elementary School.
Hanlon said every child will be able to take home a basketball.
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