Monday, September 22, 2003
A new school-board member also was named.
NEWTON FALLS -- After two days of negotiations, the school board has approved a three-year contract with the district's classified employees.
The contract, effective as of July 1, calls for 2 percent raises for this school year and the 2004-2005 school year. There is no raise in the final year of the contract, Superintendent David Wilson said.
He said negotiations with the Newton Falls Association of Classified Employees union were conducted professionally by both sides.
The roughly 50-member union represents secretaries, bus drivers, maintenance and cafeteria employees.
Health insurance
The contract also includes a requirement that members hired since July 1 work for at least 25 regular hours to be eligible for board-paid health insurance.
Union members hired before the contract's effective date pay 15 percent of the insurance coverage for a single plan and 20 percent for a family plan.
Copayments for union members hired before the contract's effective date remain the same. Those employees who opt out of the board-paid vision plan will get a check for $100.
Union members hired since the July date won't receive the board-paid vision plan.
Other provisions include establishment of a labor-management committee that will suggest solutions to problems that crop up and creation of an educational fund of $500 to reimburse union members up to $100 for training.
Wilson said the fund was created because of the federal No Child Left Behind initiative, which asks employees to seek training.
Board members also named Lara Riebold to fill the board seat vacated when Kevin Harford resigned because he moved out of the area.
Riebold was among six candidates interviewed by the school board.