Union at Niles schools is ready to vote on pact

The board will meet Thursday to approve a financial recovery plan.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Few details are being released for a tentative agreement between the union for nonteaching staff and the city board of education.
The agreement, which still must be ratified by the 122 members of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 365, would retroactively cover this year as well as next year, Niles Superintendent Patrick N. Guliano said.
Specifics about health-care insurance and staffing levels -- which were key sticking points in the contract talks -- are not being made public by the board until the union votes on the deal, he added.
Jim Rabbitts, field representative for the OAPSE office in Columbus, did not return phone calls Tuesday. The union, however, issued a statement saying that a ratification meeting would be held Friday. "All previous issues of concern have been addressed in this tentative agreement and Local 365 members are hopeful to avoid a work stoppage," it said.
Board in special session
Because of the tentative pact, Guliano said, the board of education will meet in special session at 8:30 p.m. Thursday to approve a financial recovery plan for the district. The plan, which will be sent to the Ohio Department of Education by Friday, is designed to show the state how the district plans to recover from impending debt.
Niles City Schools are under state-imposed financial watch status. Once the recovery plan is received by the state office, officials there will decide whether to leave the district in that status, release it or place it in fiscal emergency.
Because of the ongoing contract talks, the state granted a 30-day extension to Niles City Schools last month to prepare the plan. The extension deadline is Friday.
As for the pact with OAPSE workers, Guliano said that if the union ratifies the contract offer, the board could schedule another special meeting as early as next week to approve it.
The union -- which represents cafeteria workers, bus drivers, secretaries and others -- has been under the previous contract since it expired last year.
slshaulis@vindy.com