COLUMBIANA Board OKs workers' contract

The two-year contract is effective July 1.
COLUMBIANA -- The Columbiana board of education approved a two-year contract for nonteaching employees that will cost the district $45,000 in wage increases.
Superintendent Patricia Hura said the 34 employees will receive 35-cent hourly increases each year. Employees must work at least 120 days to be covered by the contract, she said.
She said there were no major changes to the health insurance benefits, but the new contract requires employees to work a minimum of 30 hours per week, up from 271/2 under the old contract. Bus drivers must work at least 20 hours per week to qualify.
Specifics
Wage increases are for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 school years. The first increase takes effect July 1. The new wages are as follows:
USecretaries, from $8.64 to $8.99, then to $9.34.
UBus drivers, from $11.33 to $11.68, then to $12.03.
UHead custodian, from $10.30 to $10.65, then to $11.
UCooks, from $8.23 to $8.58, then to $8.93.
UCustodians, from $8.63 to $8.98, then to $9.33.
UMedia center employees, $8.56, to $8.91, then to $9.26.
UTeacher aides, cashiers and crossing guards, from $8.01 to $8.36, then to $8.71.
Hura said the employees get health insurance, but she wasn't certain of the premium. For services by insurance network providers, 90 percent of up to $2,500 is covered for singles and up to $5,000 for families, she said. For services by non-network providers, 70 percent is covered, she said.
Employees pay $10 for brand-name prescriptions and $3 for generics.
Hura said Treasurer Lori Posey has the figures for the district's portion of the health insurance costs. Posey could not be reached.
Hura said negotiations took about 16 hours in five sessions. Employees ratified the contract June 6, she said.